DJINN: The Way to Home
by koolkame
Summary: Eighteen years after W.I.T.C.H. is formed, a young runaway is given the Heart of Candracar and must become a leader in order to fight an unknown enemy.
1. Mother, Sister, Daughter

Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. is owned by Disney and this is a non-profit fiction intended for the enjoyment of fellow fans of this fine franchise. Try saying that fives times fast. The lyrics to "Learn to Crawl" are the property of their respective owners and are not my work. D.J.I.N.N. and other original characters in this work are my own creations and should not be used without my permission

Summary: Eighteen years after W.I.T.C.H. is formed, a young runaway is given the Heart of Candracar and must become a leader in order to fight an unknown enemy.

Author's Note: Yet another "Next Generation of Guardians" story. Don't judge until you've reached the end of the chapter, please. This is set in the TV universe, in case you were wondering.

Shortest... koolkame Author's Note... Ever.

* * *

**_You can laugh, you can feel fine_**

**_You can dance with a little twist_**

**_Turn your pretty red-head babe, you forget that I exist_**

**_Can you see yourself in my battered eye_**

**_Would you leave me on the side of the road_**

**_Would you wall crawl up to me, would you talk to me?_**

**_I can feel it like the spider's sting_**

**_Like a memory in my mouth_**

**_I feel like the morning fell, like the bottom's falling out_**

**_I can see what's up there above it all, laying down in the valley below_**

**_I can wall crawl up to you, I can talk to you_**

**_I'm already asking, I'm down on my knees_**

**_I'm already begging, begging you please_**

**_Can you teach me how to fly?_**

**_'Cause see I'm scared to die_**

**_And I've only just begun to learn to crawl_**

**_Can you teach me how to fight?_**

**_You can keep me up all night_**

**_Would you be there on the ground if I should fall?_**

**_Fall for you?_**

-"Learn to Crawl" by Black Lab

* * *

**Chapter One: Mother/Daughter/Sister**

Magic is in everything. Like mystical energy fields in popular fantasy it permeates the universe, different yet the same in all things. The elements, the stars, ourselves, the words we say... everything has magic within it.

The rain that falls through the air on a cold October night is magic. The mud created when the water mixes with the earth, nasty as it looks, is magic. The burning lights that dot a dark street in a small city called Heatherfield are magic. Beautiful and ugly, pure and impure, there is magic in everything.

And in the case of the small figure running down this street, soaked to the bone and hungry but mostly terrified of what might be in the darkness, there is more magic in it than most. The figure doesn't know anything about magic, besides that it doesn't "exist." That it's a fairy tale, along with a warm home and people that loved without wanting anything in return. In fact, magic was almost believable compared to the things she wanted most right now.

But for now, there is only the the cold rain and the loud thunder that rides the lightning as it rumbles and explodes like a baby's sudden cry than fades away similarly. Most believe magic is only a fable and see reality as it appears. This lost child's perception would change, however, this very night.

Magic does exist. A loving home is not out of reach for anyone. To find it one may have to go to the ends of the earth.

Or slam into a young woman as she walks home in the rain, sending her groceries flying from her arms.

* * *

"Hey!" Thirty-year-old Wilhelmina "Will" Vandom yelped as she was blitzed by some unknown person. It seemed like the perfect ending to a perfect day of cleaning up cages of sick animals and arguing with her mother about dating; at least she kept her grip on her umbrella. The young woman could feel a full-fledged righteous rant building for her probably busted eggs until she looked at the figure that had hit her.

Sprawled facedown on the sidewalk and trying to lift himself up onto his elbows, the person was bundled up in blue baggy sweatpants and a red coat that was two sizes too big. Though Will lacked her friend Cornelia's eye for fashion, even she could she could tell that the clothes were worn and the shoes on his feet were falling to pieces; he wasn't even wearing socks. Whatever outrage she felt slipped away when she saw how skinny his legs were and she realized that this was probably a homeless person trying to get out of the rain.

Ignoring her groceries, she bent down and tried to help him up. "Are you okay?" she asked as her hand slipped in under his arm. The figure pulled away from her and staggered to his feet, apparently trying to run again but only succeeding in going a few feet before stumbling. "Please. I just want to help."

Now on his hands and knees, the figure finally spoke in gasping breaths. "You can't. No one can. No one believes me. No one sees it." Suddenly he went rigid and starting whimpering. "Oh, god. It's here. _God_, leave me alone!" He started crawling away, desperate to get away from something besides Will.

Will theorized that this person was either mentally ill or on drugs; whereas this would have made most people nervous, Will had dealt with far worse in her lifetime. She was reaching for her cell phone to call a friend in the police department when she became dizzy; an old feeling from another lifetime. She clutched reflexively at her chest as if reaching for something then quickly scanned the street, rain forgotten in her pursuit of anything out of the ordinary.

Nothing in sight. Not that that meant anything.

Gathering her groceries as fast as possible (the eggs were definitely broken, Will noted absently) she shifted the bag to her umbrella arm and bent down next to the still-crawling figure and took his arm. He resisted at first, trying to pull away, but stopped when she she said, "I know something is chasing you. You're safer with me than alone. Come on, my apartment is a block from here." Slowly, the figure nodded and allowed itself to be pulled to his feet. Will looked over her shoulder as they walked but no one seemed to be following them.

When they rounded a corner and disappeared the street was empty. Or would have appeared empty to most. A shadow that seemed to spurn the street lights floated down the middle of the street, indistinct yet possessing the vehemance of a poisonous gas. if one looked at it long enough one could make out the silhouettes of many legs and what might be the torso of a woman.

The shadow rumbled as it scented its prey... and another, never before tasted but familiar nonetheless. It noted the similarities in the two with a hiss reminiscent of a disturbed rattlesnake. It would figure that her prey would run towards one of it's own as it ran from light to light.

After all, _their_ kind always traveled in packs.

Patience, it told itself. Though not the ideal situation, this could be for the best.

Patience.

* * *

They made the trip to her apartment in silence. Will kept looking over at the hood but was unable to discern any details besides a small mouth and a babylike nose. They were at the front doors to her apartment complex when the figure spoke. "Why?"

Will, all business in a way that she hadn't been in years, answered in plain terms. "Because I felt it, too. I know about these things." Boy, did she know about these things.

She had been expecting another question but the kid resumed his silence. Sliding her key card in the slot, Will held the door open for the figure as he rushed into the relative safety of the apartment complex. Casting one last look behind her, she closed the door and turned to her guest. "My apartment's on the fourth floor. We can get you dried off there."

Crossing the empty lobby towards the elevator, Will punched in the _4_ button. The figure sneezed loudly, causing Will to jump slightly. The hood dropped lower when he realized he'd startled her. Will chuckled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Scat cat," she said, remembering an old saying her mother had used whenever she sneezed. Susan Vandom had apparently been allergic to cats when she was younger, a trait thankfully not passed onto her animal-loving daughter.

The figure didn't respond and was quiet the whole trip up to the apartment. He went in first at Will's prodding, dutifully taking and folding her umbrella up and placing it in the holder next to the door. Taking one final look across the hallway as she closed the door, Will turned and removed her coat. "Well, I guess now that we're here we can get each others names. I'm Wilma Vandom, but I go by Will. And you?"

"Dee," he said in a raspy voice after a moment's hesitation. "Just Dee. Do you always take in strays, or is it just cuz I'm cute?" The thin lips quirked into a sardonic smile.

Will grinned dutifully; humor was often the best stress reliever. "Oh, smart guy, huh? Well, truth be told, I've played the hero my fair share of times, and I could tell you were in trouble. In fact," her expression grew serious, "I think I'm familiar with what kind of trouble you're in."

"Lady, I doubt you've seen anything like I've been seeing."

"You'd be surprised at what I've run into over the years. So, _Dee_, do you want to stand there dripping or what?"

Dee's hood dropped until Will couldn't see his face at all; he was looking at his feet. "Oh, damn, I'm sorry, I didn't meant to... your floor..."

Will shrugged as she put down the groceries. "Don't worry, I'm no neat freak by any means. Are you hungry? I have some left-over lasagna in the fridge. Give me a minute to put up the groceries and I'll get it out." Dee just stood there. "Have a seat."

The kid hesitantly sat at the small bar in Will's kitchen as she fished out the slightly crushed eggs. Relieved that most of them could be saved, she began putting the rest of the bag away as she looked at the kid out of the corner of her eye. Bright brown eyes watched from under the hood of her grungy coat as Will pulled out the lasagna and some paper plates. Wondering if the silence was making Dee uncomfortable, Will started up a conversation as she microwaved a plate of lasagna. "This thing that was chasing you, did you see what it was?"

Dee shivered. "No, I didn't see it. I... knew it was there, though." He frowned. "Really, I'm not making this up."

"Hey, it's okay, I felt it, too. What did it make you think of?"

"Well... it felt like I was being chased by legs. Weird, I know. They kept coming closer until... I ran into you. I'm sorry about the eggs." When she set the plate of lasagna in front of him Dee tore into it with a plastic fork and a fury that was almost startling to see. Will felt a shiver of guilt as she thought about her "meager" lunch of a ham sandwich and a Coke.

Will smiled. "Don't worry about the eggs. We can have omelets in the morning."

Those bright eyes looked confused. "'In the morning?'"

"Well, duh. I can't let you go outside with something out there chasing down young boys. You're safer here with me."

Will didn't think someone so young could look so skeptical. "Look, I appreciate this, I really do, but do you want to risk your life for some street kid? This thing... I don't scare easy, but whatever it is scares the piss out of me. What makes you think it's afraid of you?"

Will was saved from responding by a loud crash coming from her bedroom. Both she and the kid jumped and stared at the door, barely breathing in fright. Will's hand was inching toward a drawer that contained a dagger given to her by Caleb when she noticed the pink light emanating from under the door. _No way_, she thought, _no way it could be_...

She looked over at Dee, who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Dee..." his eyes darted toward her, "it's alright. That's the reason we're safe." She walked over to the door and opened it, peering inside yet already knowing what she would see. The small chest next to her futon was shaking and spewing ethereal light like something out of a horror movie.

Will, however, found the light comforting as she opened the top drawer and looked at the source of the display. Her lips quirked up into a bittersweet smile as she withdrew an large necklace attached to a sturdy string; it was composed of a smooth round crystal surrounded by an asymmetrical frame. She held it up by the string and cushioned it in her other hand like a valued family heirloom. "Hi there."

Will wasn't sure why the crystal was reacting like this; it hadn't so much as flickered in years. Was it the threat that had followed Dee that was provoking it? Speaking of Dee, Will figured she better get back to the kid before he thought that his savior had been eaten by the Boogey Man.

Sure enough, Dee looked relieved to see Will emerge from her bedroom. His eyes darted to the necklace. "What's that?"

"This..." How to explain it? "This is the reason we can sleep soundly tonight. I can't use it like I used to..." Her face dropped a little. "But it's always kept me safe. Here. You should hold on to it." She held it out to Dee.

Dee took the glowing necklace slowly and looked into its depths with a wonder that seemed unsuited to his features. At the kid's touch it seemed to increase in luminosity. "It's... nice, I guess. Don't know much about jewelry."

"Believe me, this is no ordinary jewel. So, you want finish up and take a shower?"

From the look on Dee's face it was like she had offered him a vacation to the Bahamas. "Uh, sure. I had some clothes with me but... I dropped them when I was running."

"It's okay. I did laundry this month. They don't have hearts or anything," she assured him before she realized he probably wouldn't care as long as they were clean.

"Well," Dee said, "I guess there's something I should tell you then." Will blinked in surprise as Dee removed "his" hood. The close cropped dark brown hair could have been a boy's, but the long eyelashes and heart-shaped face had a feminine slant to them. Which made a lot of sense once Dee said, "I'm kinda a girl."

"Uh, of course you were. _Are_, are a girl, I mean. Uhm, more lasagna?"

* * *

Patience, patience. At least the rain had stopped; it was less than an annoyance to her but it made it difficult to hear correctly. Predators needed all of their senses to hunt.

She shifted restlessly on the rooftop across from the former Guardian's dwelling. She had discarded her cloak of shadow since the natural shadows hid her well enough for the moment. She made out the older whelp's outline in the small window but couldn't see the younger one.

The urge to launch herself across the street and tear open the mortar walls to reveal her vulnerable prey within was strong; but there were rules to abide by, the principal one being to stay hidden while on Earth. Humans were innately curious, the odd branch that populated this world even more so; any evidence of her existence would bring them in droves. All vermin seemed to travel in packs, apparently.

There were other rules as well, none of them hers by choice. Her employer (though not actually paid, she still refused the term "superior" in all its meanings) wanted what the Guardian possessed more than the woman herself; in fact, the woman didn't even matter. Without the object of their power, the new Guardians would be no more than the children they were.

Still, to taste the dual flavors of young and seasoned blood together... She snorted and rubbed her front two legs together in the manner of a someone wringing their hands. Patience, patience.

Always patience. The best things came to those who wait.

And when the flash of soft light illuminated the red-haired witch's face, patience came to an end. With a chitter that might have been a laugh, she launched her massive body across the street to land with a light thud on the balcony outside Will's apartment.

* * *

In retrospect, choosing an apartment with a small balcony outside the kitchen was not the best idea for someone who had a higher chance of being attacked by giant spiders than the average person. Will hadn't actually considered this when she chose the small loft, having believed those days were long behind her. When the oil-slick smooth black leg burst through the French doors and knocked Will to the floor, she still mentally told herself off for all the Saturday afternoons spent sunbathing.

Years of hurried explanations and on-the-go battle plans allowed Will to quickly summarize an order for Dee as the leg swept the air over her head, searching for her. "Dee, go to the _Silver Dragon _restaurant downtown and ask for Yan Lin!"

"Will!" Dee was reaching for her, trying to pull her to safety.

"Do it!" Will shouted. The noise drew the creature's attention and the leg swept her out the door. She rolled end over end until she collided with the wrought iron fence that lined the balcony. Stunned, she lay on the concrete and saw what it was that had attacked her.

Her first thought was of the old Greek myth of Arachne, the woman turned into a spider by the gods. This thing looked liked a half-finished Arachne; from the waist up she was a female _something_ with light purple skin, waist-length black hair plastered to her torso by the rain. She/it had large pointed ears seemed to merge with her jawline and luminous green eyes that looked only slightly less menacing than the dark purple lips that smiled at Will. Her too-long arms and fingers were crossed over ample cleavage, one eight-inch finger tapping on her arm. Her torso was covered by dark purple shells that resembled a breast-plate that swept up past her shoulders to end in narrow spikes.

Her body was the usual eight legs and a thorax configuration of a spider but looked like it was encased in hard, black plastic; the near prehensile leg segments ended in blunt points that seemed to defy gravity as they remained attached to the apartment building. If the person in _5-7_ looked out onto their balcony, they'd have seen the creature's underbelly that was coated with the same material of the breast plate it connected to. The thorax was three times as large as the creature's torso and almost aerodynamic in its egg shape.

The creature's smile split to reveal sharp teeth not unlike a vampire's overbite. When she spoke her voice practically purred despite her insectile appearance. "Hello, little Guardian. I believe you have something I'm looking for." She held up one of her multi-segmented legs next to her shoulder and shot a rope-sized line of red webbing at Will.

The gunk attached itself to Will's breastbone and pulled her up to the leg tip like a fly on a frog's tongue. With a near effortless push, the creature leapt across the street and began traveling across the roof tops like a grasshopper, bounding lightly despite her truck-sized mass. As disgusting as it was, Will wrapped her arms and legs around the leg to keep her extremities from being snapped like twigs from the sharp movements of her captor.

The next few minutes were a blur of nauseating motion as the Beast headed towards the outskirts of Heatherfield. She stopped a few times to get her bearings and Will took the time to breath, even as she gagged from the too-sweet smell of rotten fruit that seemed to roll off of the thing like an aromatic fog. Then it was Motion Sickness Central as the flight was resumed.

When they finally stopped it was at a construction site where an old warehouse was being demolished for an strip mall. The site was along the interstate that ran out of Heatherfield and lay nowhere near any of the suburbs that ringed the city. Will grimly realized that the creature hadn't been running from possible pursuit; it was looking for a place where they could be alone... and far out enough that no one could hear her screams.

A perfect day for sure.

The webbing lost its hold on her and she fell. Before she went more than a few feet her ankles and wrists were ensnared by the tentacle legs and and she was was brought face-to-face with her abductor. Her arms were pulled over her head and her legs were stretched out like she was on some medieval torture rack. The analogy was not comforting. Nor were the Beast's words. "There now. All alone so we can... talk. And I suggest you try to be communicative; my patience is always lowest when I'm moist."

Despite her yelp of surprise earlier as she was yanked out of the window, Will was deadly calm as she faced the spider creature. Her expression was not one of terror but of mild disgust, like the Beast had cut line in front of her at Subway instead of threatening her with grievous bodily injury.

"You know," Will said conversationally. "You remind me of something I stepped on once. And it wasn't a bug."

The creature chortled, clapping her long-fingered hands briefly. "Oh, how delightful. The little Guardian is making an attempt at bravado. I would be impressed... _except_ that I know that the Heart no longer loves you as it once did." When this barb didn't get a rise out of Will, her smile faded. "What? Doesn't it hurt knowing you are no longer worthy of the honor bestowed upon you as a stripling?"

If her arms weren't being pulled over her head, Will would have given an indifferent shrug. "Not really. Life begins at a retirement, didn't you hear? One thing I don't miss about the job is listening to pieces of crap like you try to pump yourselves up. Honestly, it's like the forces of evil have self-esteem problems. You people need therapy, or drugs at least."

That darkly pretty face was warped by a scowl as Will felt the pressure on her legs vanish. Knowing what was coming, Will tucked her legs against her chest as the creature flung her against a half-finished brick wall. She covered her head with her arms before impact, saving her skull but crying out as her left side hit the bricks. She fell to the ground limply as the creature snarled a question at her. "Where is the Heart?! Give it to me and I'll let you live."

Will bit back a groan as she lifted herself from the hard ground. "Oh, yeah, like that's gonna happen. You better just kill me now; hell, I'm going on thirty and not married, you'd be doing me a favor." She could at least lie about her age to her potential murderer. She leaned against the wall and tried to look unconcerned. "Of course, when my friends find you they'll make you wish you'd joined me." _Keep her talking long enough to figure something out._

Spider Ho sneered. "And why should I fear them? They're as powerless as you."

"You obviously haven't seen Cornelia on the warpath." Will sighted a drainage pipe behind the Spider Ho. "And if its powers you want, the Queen of Meridian is good friend of mine. Let me tell ya, in some ways, Phobos was the _nice _one in the family; he delegated the dirty work. Elyon is a hands-on sort of ruler and she has one nasty little imagination to boot."

Spider Ho slammed her front two legs into the brick wall on both sides of Will, breaking through it like twin jackhammers. She grasped Will's collar in her hand and held her up against the wall, her legs dangling almost comically. "I tire of your empty threats, whelp! Tell me where the Heart is or I'll rip pieces off of you until you do!"

"Alright, alright!" Will said, a look of fear coming over her face. She felt a certain amount of pride at her act. "It's right here." She reached into her sweater, the Spider Ho's eyes tracking it with supernatural accuracy. Which was good, since she didn't see Will's other hand flash toward her face until the clod of dirt and grit was in her eyes.

She screamed, an eerie mix of human and insect chittering like a cicada heard through a megaphone. She dropped Will and clawed at her too large eyes as her intended victim ran under her thorax and made for the sewer pipe. She dodged construction equipment and building supplies as she mentally patted herself on the back for swimming an hour every day at the gym.

She had just entered the pipe when something wet and gooey hit her in the back of the sweater. Will yelped a Meridian swear word as she was pulled backwards and slammed painfully into a mud bank. Her eyes closed in shock at the impact and snapped open again when she felt one of the Spider Ho's legs slam into her stomach.

As she choked on the bile in her throat, Will looked into the eyes of the last face she expected to see. Spider Ho was actually smiling as she straightened her hair out and bent her massive body so her face was inches away from Will's. "I apologize, my dear. I thought you were weak and cowardly. But you're as brave as you are beautiful. I see now that you won't tell where it is hidden. _C'est le vie_, as they say on this world. I will find it eventually, but for now, I think we should get get to know one another better. Of course, the only real way to know someone is through sensation, like love-making... or pain."

Will coughed painfully. "You're not... really my type." _On _so _many levels_.

"If you can scream as I disembowel you with my bare hands, I think we'll manage."

So this was it. She was going to die. At least it was in the line of duty. Regardless of how it ended, being a Guardian was the best thing that ever happened to her and she was glad that she had not failed in this final task. As the Spider Ho's leg began to twist and cause her to gasp aloud, she mentally said goodbye to her mother, her sisters, Caleb, Mrs. Lin, and even Blunk. She regretted that she would miss that dinner at the _Silver Dragon_ tomorrow. She could have seen them all one last time... _I love you all so much._

At least Dee had gotten away. She would head to the Lins' restaurant and there Yan Lin would tell her of her destiny. The others would take care of her; maybe she would stay at the _Dragon_ like Caleb had, fussed over by the Lin women, or maybe her mother would take her in to help ease her grief over Will's loss. Cornelia would take her shopping for clothes while Irma would grill her inevitable suitors like a stern aunt. Taranee would help her with school work; Caleb would make a fine male role model and teach her about Meridian. Blunk would be a source of irritation and amusement for her. Elyon would instruct her on how to use the magic that had been given her.

Most of all, they would love her. Will knew they would because after knowing her only a brief time, she loved Dee already. And in recent years, Will had found it difficult to let new people into her heart.

Maybe Dee would think of Will when she held the Heart and gazed into it. At least she would be safe and far away from this monster until she was ready.

"Will!"

Or not. Maybe the dumb kid would run after the Spider Ho and show up just as the Beast was putting Will out like a cigarette butt. Figures. What annoyed Will even more was that she would have done the same thing at her age. You didn't have to be crazy to be a Guardian, but it sure helped.

* * *

Dee wasn't a dumb kid. One didn't travel halfway across the country over the course of a year by themselves without a good deal of common sense and practicality... not to mention a slightly loose system of morals that condoned stealing food when necessary. So she was a little surprised when she decided to ignore Will's orders, throw the necklace around her neck and follow after her. And the monster that had been chasing her all day.

Her mind was screaming for her to stop and turn around but another voice, quieter yet all-consuming, overrode the frantic hysterics that would have left most people paralyzed with indecision and clearly ordered her to get herself killed for the nice lady.

Dee surmised as she ran that this second voice was her little-utilized conscience, making a huge comeback tour for this person who taken Dee into her home when most would have ignored her. Even with that nice gesture taken into account, the fear she felt for Will was greater than it should have been. It was like Dee had found something she couldn't bear to let go of, so much so her own safety was taking a backseat for once. For someone whose list of people she should care about contained the three brief entries of Me, Myself, and I, this was a feeling that was both disconcerting and fascinating. It also felt extremely weird, almost unnatural; supernatural, in fact, for someone as hardened as Dee to care so much for a woman she barely knew.

After all, the lasagna hadn't been _that_ good. It had the texture of wet cardboard and was rough on the throat. But Will had fed her even after she dripped all over the floor and acted less than grateful for her help. She had cared only about Dee's safety and well-being.

And so she ran, the gaudy necklace Will had shown her smacking her in the face. It was almost like it was egging her on; in fact, whenever she lost sight of her quarry it seemed to hover slightly in the right direction like a compass towards due north. Its probably AA battery-powered glow even lit the ground when she ran out of street lights to guide her. In the back of her mind she kept saying "Thanks" even though it was only a piece of tacky jewelry. Like it could hear her or anything.

When she saw the Frickin' Big Spider land in the middle of a construction site, she had sneaked through the shadows until she emerged in an open space to see Will under the leg of the FBS. The woman's face was twisted in pain yet strangely peaceful, like she had accepted her fate. Dee, on the other hand, flipped a bird to Fate in all its forms; by some reflex that superseded all of her survival instincts, she then did a very dumb thing. "Will!"

It wasn't the fact that she shouted the name as it was how she said it. Dee prided herself on her strength; strength was the only way to go despite the other attributes people had tried to force on her. Yet the voice that emerged from her throat was strangled and shrill, sounding too much like the little girl she barely remembered being. Emotions saturated that word and transformed it into something more than sound, almost like a spell spoken to give life to something.

Hanging just above Dee's heart, the gaudy necklace began to glow brighter. And in Dee's soul, something that had never been born began to stir.

Whatever happened to her, Dee could _not_ let this woman die. If she did, it would be like the whole world was gone. For someone who also prided herself on unfeeling logic the thought was so illogical it was blasphemy. Maybe the lasagna was better than she thought. Or maybe she'd finally snapped; whatever. Why should she be afraid of dying, anyway? It wasn't like her life was all that great. When she got to the Pearly Gates, her reason for gaining entrance would be three words: You Owe Me. And if she got to enter the gates with Will, well, that was cool. Pretty damn cool, actually.

Will didn't look all that angelic at the moment, though. She looked like she would have sent Dee to heaven herself had she been in reach. "Dee, run! She'll kill you!" _If I don't do it first_ seemed to be implied by her eyes. For some reason Dee found Will being mad at her extremely funny and a shakey grin creased her face.

The FBS looked amused, too. "Well, now," she said in that too sweet voice, "the new whelp has brought what I seek to me. Since I'm pressed for time, child, how about we barter? Give me the Heart, and I'll let you go."

Dee was confused, then realized that the necklace's light was increasing in its intensity. Looking down at it she realized that this bauble was the Heart the FBS was talking about. All this for a piece of bling? Dee had seen people do strange things for money but a giant spider monster fencing this dime-store treasure for probably twenty bucks was hard to believe.

She looked at Will, whose eyes had never left hers. Didn't she notice the spider crushing her? Dee tried to speak but only managed to squeak pitifully. Clearing her throat, she said to the FBS, "If I give it to you, will you let both of us leave? We can't hurt you, we're nothing to you." It always payed to play to the bigger boy's ego, especially if the bigger boy was a giant spider monster.

FBS seemed to consider this, no doubt balancing the sheer joy of killing against a very busy schedule. Dee wouldn't have been surprised if she produced a day planner and a pair of eyeglasses. After a moment she said, "Very well."

"No!" Will shrieked. "You can't give it-" Her protest was cut off by the leg jamming further into her gut. Dee winced in sympathy; if she didn't get Will out from under there soon she was going to have internal injuries.

"Now," FBS said as she extended a leg toward Dee, "Just give me the Heart and I'll...urrrrgghh!" The creature clutched her head suddenly as if she had a terrible migraine. "No, I... I understand. Yesssss, my mistress..."

As abruptly as it came, the attack was over and the Beast straightened. With the air of someone who was carrying out the orders of a demanding boss, FBS sighed. "I'm afraid, child, that higher powers than myself have decided that your life is now over. Rest assured, your deaths will be swift." From the expression on her face it appeared she was not happy with this prospect.

Dee glared at the FBS even as she panicked on the inside. What now? She grasped the Heart in her hand and did the last thing she ever expected to do: pray. Granted, it was a prayer with several expletives laced through it but it was the first one she had made in a long time. As the legs of the Frickin' Big Spider drew closer, Dee hoped Will would put in a good word for her with St. Peter. _She ate the lasagna_ seemed to be the only thing going for her.

The legs were within inches of her face when she felt her composure crack. Determined not to scream like a child, Dee instead channeled her fear and anger into two words of defiance. What she thought and what she said were two different things, however, her actual words containing a bit more syllables than the ones she meant to curse the spider with. With a surge of something that could only be described as pure power running through her, Dee stared the monstrosity in the eyes and shouted, "_Guardians Unite_!"

The Heart's steady glow exploded into an all-consuming burst of light that seemed to force her fingers open as it washed over the construction site. The FBS recoiled from Dee and stumbled back against the same wall she had thrown Will against, blinded and howling in outrage. Will, freed from the Beast, lay on her side as she stared unblinking at a sight she had thought she'd never see again.

The Heart of Candracar was floating in front of the girl that had summoned its power to fight evil once again. Dee, hands held open and out to her sides, was the center of her own wind storm, her baggy jacket fluttering like a flag at the the top of a mast. Her face was surprised but unafraid as she stared at the Heart, looking like a girl that had found the perfect Christmas present under the tree and couldn't believe it. With a flash of white light Dee was snapped up into a pinkish purple sphere of energy, knees drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped around them in a position similar to a fetus in the womb.

Will knew what was happening; the magic of the Heart was stripping away layers of clothing and psyche to reveal the true person underneath. A beautiful soul that had been ignored was being made flesh as Dee was growing into a young woman in a matter of seconds. Delicate yet strong gossamer wings were sprouting from her shoulders, to mark her as something special as well as propel her through the air. The girl known only as Dee, lost and running from the world, was being reborn to save it.

Elsewhere in the greater Heatherfield area, three other girls stirred in their sleep. And in the kingdom of Meridian, so close yet so far from Heatherfield, another girl dreamed as well. They dreamed of flying, like most do, but they also dreamed of each other as they flew through an environment unique to each.

One dreamt of a vast ocean, mighty and unconquerable as she floated through it, safe and supported in its azure depths.

Another dreamed of a ball of fire, fierce and independent as she orbited it like a planet, admiring its audacity to burn forever or die in the attempt.

The third flew along a tree-covered mountain range, majestic and strong as she danced from peak to peak, feeling the the life contained in the stone and the silent and nurturing earth.

The last floated in a funnel of air, invisible yet undeniable in its power and presence as it breathed a life-giving kiss to every living thing.

And they saw each other, reflected in those depths and flames and mountains and clouds. Some were friends and some perfect strangers, yet they were all chosen at conception to be sisters and warriors and healers and peacemakers. In short, they were the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions, a new generation of heroines called upon to do what only they could.

None of them knew this. Not the Keeper of the Heart as she emerged from her cocoon to save the woman she would come to call Mother. Nor did the three who rose from their sleep to stare out windows in the direction of a construction site for reasons they did not know and were equally ignorant of the magical power they were feeding to their pre-destined leader. And certainly not the fourth, who thought her destiny was firmly entrenched and lay staring at her ceiling, unable to sleep as she was overcome by the urgent need to be elsewhere.

The only one who knew their entire destinies sat meditating in a realm beyond infinity. In the dimensional nexus known as Candracar the arrival of the new Guardians had been greatly anticipated. The need for them was great, the tasks demanding, but the being known as the Oracle did not fear the future. As he watched the Keeper land as lightly as a feather on the churned ground, the Oracle felt pride at her resilience. Like her predecessor but even more so, she had been through fire and been made stronger for it. Yet there was danger as well in having a heart that strong, that resistant to chaotic emotion. Hers was a path that would be difficult to walk, even for a Guardian.

But that was the future. The present was more than occupying enough for the Keeper of the Heart of Candracar. As Dee opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Will's startled expression. If Dee had the time to look herself over, she would have realized that she possessed the mature body of a sixteen-year-old girl instead of her boyish fourteen years. Her shiny black hair was no longer cropped short but shoulder-length and straight as it lay tucked behind her ears. Her bangs hung over her eyes down to her prominent cheekbones, cloaking her face partially and combined with her light brown complexion to give her an exotic appearance.

She now wore the skintight dark green and light purple uniform of a Guardian over her lithe yet muscled body. A light purple halter top covered her neck and her torso down to her navel where it looped around the orifice with a circular extension of the fabric. Two sleeves ran down from her elbows down to her wrists where they dropped a hand-span like robes. Purple boots ran up to below her knees where they met light-and-dark green-striped tights that traveled up her well-trimmed thighs to end a few inches from her pelvis. A short green mini-skirt, slit on each hip, rested on top of a purple pair of hot pants that covered her waist. Her appearance was both revealing and modest, chastity and a brimming sexuality mixing together in a primal potion that could only come from the forces of nature.

Even as she checked herself for broken ribs, Will wondered why Guardian uniforms always looked so indecent. When Dee ran to her and not-so-gently yanked her to her feet with her increased strength, she realized this was not the time or place to theorize about such things. She also realized that Dee was now five inches taller than she was, having shot up a foot-and-a-half since she transformed and placing her at six feet exactly; it seemed the girl was in for a serious growth spurt in the next few years.

"Will, are you okay?" Dee asked in a svelte yet strong voice as she stared over Will's shoulder at the Spider Ho. The Beast was blinded by the light and was rubbing at her eyes fiercely; Dee quickly realized that she had asked the wrong question. "Can you run?"

Will shook her head. "If we run, she'll catch us. We have to fly."

"Fly?"

"You can fly, look, I'll explain later, just trust meeeeeeekkk!" Will shrieked as she was snagged by another of the Spider Ho's webs. Dee had a strong hold on her, though, and dug her boots in the mud to steady them.

The dazed Beast glared bloody murder at the two women. Or eight women, or however many there were. They were dead no matter their numbers, filthy vermin! "Damn you, witch of Candracar! I'll make you watch as I rip the woman's arms off!"

"Like hell!" Dee shouted back. One arm wrapped around Will's back, she raised the other hand toward the FBS and fired a cracking energy bolt at the creature. The released energy hit the creature in her armored chest, electrocuting it and knocking its head back against the wall, stunning it further. The line of web that held Will dissolved into red dust when its wielder lost her concentration. Dee looked at her hand with a startled yet satisfied expression. "Freakin' A!"

Will thought back to the first time she transformed. Her flying abilities had been questionable at best and Dee would find it difficult carrying her out of here without crashing. How could they get away from this thing without flight? Maybe they didn't have to. "Dee, I want you to hold the Heart and ask it to open a Fold."

"A what?"

"Just do it!"

"Okay, ..." Dee checked her person for the talisman and couldn't find it; there wasn't many places to hide it on her new duds. Just as she was about to panic the Heart appeared over her heart with a flash of light. "Oh." She held the Heart out and said, "Uh... open a Fold!" Nothing happened. "Please? Please, dammit!?""

By now the Beast had regained her senses. The look it gave the two women was so filled with hatred it seemed to distort her already alien features. Pithy comments discarded in favor of mangling them, the Beast screamed as it ran toward them with a speed out of proportion to its size, like a plague of locusts wanting to devour their flesh.

Will and Dee, both braver than most full-grown men, still shrieked at the sight of the Spider Ho knocking aside heavy equipment to get at them. Without knowing how or why, Dee slashed the Heart directly in front of her and Will. With a cackle of supernatural energy a glowing tear in space-time appeared between them and the creature.

The Beast barely had time to notice the Fold before it hit the gateway. Will and Dee were treated to a surprised look on its face as it dissolved in a flash. Instinctively Dee closed the Fold by swiping the Heart over it like a zipper, the tear sealing up like it never existed.

They stood there in the darkness, panting in relief and leaning on each other to steady themselves. The silence was welcome, comforting, serene... and short.

"Wooooowwwhhhhooooo!" Dee hollered in triumph, causing Will to age another few years until she was emotionally in her mid-thirties. "That was... so freaking... did you see?" She let loose another whoop to punctuate her statement.

Will thought about berating the girl for nearly giving her a heart attack, but couldn't after seeing the look on her face. In the short time she had known Dee, Will could tell the girl wasn't this happy very often. "Yes, I did. You did good, kid. Better than I did my first time, for sure."

Dee looked at her in surprise. "Your first time? This has happened to you before?"

Will nodded, not sure where to start. Best to lay it out there. "Dee, you've been chosen by the Heart of Candracar to be a Guardian. I was once a Guardian, too, the Keeper of the Heart like you are, apparently. Basically, you're a superhero now."

She expected Dee to look confused or shocked, but the new Guardian merely looked at her expectantly. She continued. "That thing, the Spider Ho," Dee smirked at this, "came from another dimension, another universe basically. There are lots of universes out there and some of them are very dangerous. Guardians, young girls like you, are given powers to stop them by a place called Candracar, a sort-of police department for the multiverse."

Dee's expression turned sour. "I don't do well with cops."

_Great, just wait til she meets Irma_. "Believe me, they're more like monks than police officers. That's just the basics; right now we need to get to a restaurant downtown called the _Silver Dragon_. Two former Guardians are staying there right now and we need to talk with them before we do anything."

Dee nodded, perfectly calm. Will was relieved that she was taking this so well, as opposed to her own reaction to the news that she had been a Guardian. "Can I open a 'Fold' to there?"

"No, Folds only go between dimensions. We have to fly or walk." It was way too early for Dee to Tele-transport yet.

"Again with the flying. How can I fly? It's not like I have wings."

Will smirked, then took her by the arm and led her over to a bulldozer with large rear view mirrors. Gesturing to the mirror, Will said, "Check your shoulders."

Dee looked at her like she thought Will had already flown over the cuckoo nest. She relented when she realized she was probably just as crazy as Will and adjusted the mirror until it showed her upper half. It took her a second to register that the incredibly hot girl looking back at her was herself; she touched her now-longer hair reverently even as she looked at Will questioningly, who merely shrugged and grinned like she was enjoying this.

Looking back at the mirror, Dee turned until she saw a glimpse of a butterfly-like wings poking out past her shoulder. Eyes widening, she twisted around until she could see both wings resting upon her bare shoulders like she'd had them since the day she was born. "Oh... my... is this permanent?"

"You can change back if you want, and transform again by saying, 'Guardians Unite.' Since we're here by ourselves this would be a good time for a flying lesson."

"So, what, I just flutter my pretty little wings and take offffffff!?" Dee had fluttered her pretty little wings and shot twenty feet straight up in less than a second. She hovered uncertainly in the air and waved her arms and legs frantic-ly, clearly panicking. Panic was only slightly less foreign to her than flying and this only served to agitate her further, as evidenced by the steady string of obscenities Will could barely hear; Dee could apparently give Irma Lair a run in cussing and curses.

"Stay calm!" Will shouted from the ground. "Don't think, just concentrate on your wings." Dee was able to gain control of her body and straighten out, owing as much to her anger at herself as Will's advice. "Okay, moving while flying is pretty much thought; while your wings are working you think where you want to go. _Think _yourself forward a few feet. Try it now."

Dee drifted forward a few feet. Without waiting for more orders from Will, Dee moved back and to the sides, spun completely around, and began to dart around the construction site in simple maneuvers. "This isn't so bad," she said as she ducked beneath a crane. "It's fun."

Will swallowed as Dee moved closer to the equipment. "Be careful, it's very sensitive."

"No problem, _Mom_," Dee giggled as she looked back at Will. Her body was straight as she held her arms and right leg up, like the woman in that old movie she'd snuck into a theater to see. "I've got this dow..." She was interrupted when she collided with a wrecking ball attached to the crane. Wings fluttering weakly, Dee hung onto the ball as she tried to clear her head, not helped by its swinging motion. "Ow. My knee. My face. My... ow."

"Hey!" said a gruff voice from the wrecking machine's cab. "Watch where you're going! I gotta work tomorrow, you know?"

Dee leaned around the side of the metal ball and stared at the empty cab. "Will, the machine's talking to me. Is that normal, or did I hit my head too hard? I'm not a junkie or anything, I swear... yipe!" Dee slid off the ball and fell into a pile of sand used to mix concrete. "Ow! That _hurt_! The sand _hurts_! Ow... sand shouldn't _hurt_..."

Will sighed as she silently vowed to apologize to Caleb for how W.I.T.C.H. had acted during their early days as Guardians. Maybe she could fix him some of her lasagna?

* * *

When Dee opened the Fold in front of the FBS, she had been thinking the popular epitaph "Go to hell." As it happened, the Heart interpreted this to mean a very hot place of fire and lava. While not hell in a spiritual sense, the inside of an active volcano on the edge of the kingdom of Meridian was not a fun place to be.

The Beast howled in a voice heavy with frustration and cicada cries as she scrambled for purchase along the interior wall of the volcano. Smoke clogged her eyes and made breathing a labor; she dared not lose her grip or be vaporized when she hit the molten rock that bubbled like stew a hundred feet below her.

Slowly but with the kind of resilience born of either strong love or equally strong hatred, she began to scale the obsidian wall by plunging her legs into the volcano. Shards as sharp as broken glass exploded outward every time she took a step, cutting her pale arms and face in a twisted web of slashes that seeped black blood.

She didn't notice, however. She healed fast and her mind was otherwise occupied with thoughts of vengeance against the new Keeper of the Heart. As much as she enjoyed torturing and murdering any old sentient, what she had in mind for the boyish brat made her tingle with anticipation she hadn't felt since her first victim.

First, she had to get out of this magnificent yet annoying wonder of nature. Then... no, patience.

Patience. Always patience.

* * *

Author's Notes: This story was started shortly after I began work on Dark Gossamer Wings, so it's been percolating awhile. I decided to hold off on it until Season Two and I'm glad I did; sorry it took so long to get started.

The construction site is a homage to the Animorphs book series where the main characters got their powers in a similar setting. Just a tidbit for you Anifans out there.

Unlike Dark Gossamer Wings, the chapters will be shorter. I hear the "Thank god"s" out there alread. The events of DGW take place in the D.J.I.N.N. timeline, but that won't be an issue is this story. Finally, I reloaded this chapter to make a change to Dee's Guardian socks; nothing big, it just annoyed me. I changed a few other things as well, but I have to stop myself before I rewrite the whole thing.


	2. First Impressions Hurt

Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. is owned by Disney and this is a work of non-profit fiction. D.J.I.N.N., Dee, Spider Ho (working title) and other original characters in this work are my own creations and should not be used without my permission.

Author's Note: I'm trying to keep the chapters shorter than the ones in Dark Gossamer Wings for two reasons. One, it allows me to update faster. Two, not everyone was thrilled with the admittedly drawn-out length of the chapters in that story. To that end, I'm trying to mimic the style of the show, basically two or three chapters equaling an episode. It felt a little rushed at first, but I think it works fairly well. Average chapter length is going to be nine thousand words, I'd guess.

Much love to my reviewers, by the way. I know everyone wants to see the new Guardians soon; next chapter, I promise. In fact, a lot of "old" characters will be making their DJINN premiere in Three, if that'll help you get through this one!

Big thanks to Drag0nf1y for pointing out this chapter had been saved over by Chapter Three, you wouldn't even be reading this if Drag0nf1y hadn't PM'ed me about it.

* * *

Chapter Two: First Impressions Hurt

"Will, meeting you is the best thing that has ever happened to me!" Dee said as they flew downtown, Will hanging trapeze-style from the Guardian's grip. "And I mean that; I don't get mushy very often!"

"That's great, Dee, just keep your eyeeeeeyahs!" Will's reply transformed into a yelp as she drew her knees up to avoid a flagpole. Dee was handling flying very well, but even prodigies have to take baby steps before breaking into a run. Will knew first-hand how difficult it was to carry a person while flying; every tiny movement they made threw you around. Still, that last one was a little close...

"Sorry! Thought we were gonna clear it!" Dee apologized. "No offense, Miss V., but you're heavier than you look."

Will glared up at the girl who had a fifteen-inch waist and a butt half-again as small as hers. "None taken, Dee. I admire your honesty. I'll remember it when you come around looking for more lasagna."

"Oooh, someone's cranky," Dee chortled as she rose ten feet to clear a cathedral. Will still had to pull her legs up to avoid being dragged over the ornate rain gutter and run along the roof before Dee rose. It seemed familiar to her, but Dee's next comment broke her reverie. "Are you going through the Change or something?"

Will nearly joined a trio of mismatched gargoyles before she remembered to throw her weight to one side. "What!? How old do you think I am?!"

Dee's face changed into a thoughtful look. "Do you really want to know?"

Will ignored her and said, "I'll be thirty-one this month."

"Really? I thought you were twenty-five!"

"Smartass." Dee laughed. Will couldn't help but grin along with her as she noticed a familiar sight. "There's the restaurant. Try to land in the back alley."

"Roger!" Dee dove toward the alley. Quickly.

Something flickered in Will's memory. "Oh, and try to avoid the dumpster. Landings can be trick... oh, crud..."

_Crash!_

_

* * *

Moments later..._

"I am _so_ sorry, Will!"

"It's alright," Will reassured the new Guardian as she picked brown rice out of her hair. "You'll get the hang of it eventually... er, you have some chopsticks stuck to your leg."

"Oh. Thanks." Dee removed the soy sauce-soaked chopsticks and tossed them into the dumpster without so much as a grimace. "This restaurant must have really good food; there was hardly any of it left in the trash. Not a place I'd come to for leftovers."

"Leftovers? Oh." Visions of ham sandwiches danced before Will's eyes. "I am so sorry, Dee. No one should have to live like that."

Dee waved her long fingers in a dismissive gesture. "Ah, don't worry about it. It's not that bad if you get to it fast enough. You'd be surprised what people don't eat on their plates."

"Maybe, but..." Will looked at the girl and tried to picture the poor thing she had been before she transformed. "I really don't know that much about you, do I?"

Dee rubbed the bare parts of her arms, not because she was cold, Will knew, but from uneasiness. "What's to know?"

"Well, your family, for starters. I know I'm intruding, but the Guardian situation means that I need to know more about you. It could be important."

Dee stared at her, then nodded. "You're right. I owe you that, anyway. Well, let's see... family, right? Heck if I know. I lived in an orphanage most of life and then foster homes until I took off."

"You're a runaway? Why did you leave?"

Dee turned until she was facing away from Will. "My last home was pretty rough, not that anyone believed me; I just up and left when I thought I could get away with it. That was about a year ago. I've been making my way west since then. I got to... what's this town's name?"

"Heatherfield."

Dee turned back and smirked at Will. "You're kidding, right? Anyway, I got here a week ago. Nice enough place; lots of restaurants, _real_ restaurants and not that fast food stuff. Heh, not that I'm picky." To Dee's surprise, Will suddenly embraced her. "Wha? Where's that coming from?"

"Sorry." Will pulled back but took Dee's hands in her own. "Whatever happens, you won't have to go back to that life ever again."

Dee stared at her before chuckling nervously. "Look, if you're going to send me back into the system I'll just give you the Heart back and be on my way. I've been burned enough as it is by the 'law'..."

"No, that's not what I meant." Will fidgeted as she realized what she was about to ask. "I guess... do you want to live with me?"

Dee stared at her. "Uh, did the Spider Ho hit you on the head? 'Cuz you're sounding real concussed right now." She began to feel Will's scalp for bumps, adding, "I love your hair, by the way."

"Thanks." Will knew it was insane to be offering her home to this girl after only knowing her an hour, but something inside was telling her that this was what she had been waiting for all these years. Hadn't she wanted her friends to take care of Dee as the Beast threatened her? The only reason she had hoped for that was because she had expected to die tonight. If not, there was no doubt in her mind she wanted Dee in her life. "No, really, I'm fine. Look, we can talk in the morning. Let's just..."

The back door to the restaurant swung open. Will jumped in front of Dee in order to block her Guardian form from view, only to find her stature was not quite up to the job as Dee's eyes peeked over her hair at the newcomer.

Dee's first impression of the Asian woman was that she had a good-sized rack under her bright red and blue polka-dotted sweater. Her face was partially obscured by the wispy ebony hair that hung over her eyes, the rest of her waist-length mane tied into a long ponytail with several colorful handmade scrunchies; the five symbols on the scrunchies looked very familiar to Dee for some reason. She was hefting a large garbage bag that was giving her obvious trouble, so much so that she totally ignored Will and Dee until she was done tossing the bag into the recently-vacated dumpster.

The woman blew her bangs out of her eyes and popped her back noisily as she said, "Somedays, I really miss Caleb working here. Or his muscles, actually. Man, how heavy can a bunch of old nasty napkins be..." Her eyes widened in a delayed reaction and, with her hands still on the small of her back and partially bent backward, she turned to look at the other two occupants of the alley. "Will? What are... oh my gosh! What happened?!"

Will realized that she was covered in mud over seventy-percent of her body and her hands and face were scratched up. She also felt the massive bruise on her side from Spider Ho's leg and reckoned that it would be a beauty of broken blood vessels. Add that to her soreness from hitting the brick wall and she was damaged goods. "I'm okay, I just... it's Guardian stuff."

"Guardian Stuff? But..." The woman noticed Dee hiding behind Will. "Oh my. Who's this?"

Will stepped away from Dee so that the woman could see her. "This is Dee, the new Keeper of the Heart. Dee, this one of my oldest and best friends, Hay Lin."

Some part of Dee's personality remembered to be polite to new acquaintances. "Uhm, hi." She threw in a weak wave just in case.

The woman named Hay Lin was much less restrained. She gave Dee her second hug of the night and nearly squeezed the life out of her with surprising strength. "Oh, it's so nice to meet you, Dee! You look great in your uniform, it kinda reminds of Will's old one... well, it shows a little more, but nothing too bad! Whew! Did you guys land in the dumpster? Flying is a little tricky at first, I know. I loved the flying, that's the only thing I really miss about being a Guardian. Did you know that Will was awful at it? I didn't think she'd ever get the hang of..."

"Hay Lin?" Will interceded. "Can we stay here tonight? I'm not sure my apartment is safe right now and we _really_ need to shower... I mean, I have your special of the day on my _butt_." Dee giggled at Will's situation before she realized there were dumplings jammed up her mini-skirt.

Hay Lin crooked her neck and inspected Will's soaked bum. "Oh, of course! I was just taking out the last of the trash. Honestly, I could be President and Grandma would still make me do my chores around here! Uh, maybe Dee should change back before we go inside."

"Oh, right." Dee held the Heart out and willed the power it had given her to return. A soft purplish-white light engulfed her form and began to shrink until she was her original size again. When the light vanished, Dee was just as Will remembered her.

Hay Lin took in her appearance. "Wow, you look just like a boy."

Will was aghast at Hay Lin's observation, but Dee simply smiled graciously. "Thanks, that's what I was shooting for."

* * *

Every time the call in for a possible disturbance, Officer Irma Tubbs was afraid.

Not for herself, of course. What made her heartbeat increase and her skin tighten was the possibility that someone's life had been destroyed while she and her partner were eating lunch or discussing their families' latest outings at the park. The old saying, "No news is good news," was just as much a part of Irma's professional life as "serve and protect".

But what really terrified her was being called to an address she knew. When the call came in to investigate a possible break-in at Will's apartment building, Irma was glad her father's old partner Andrew Taylor was the one doing the driving tonight; if she had been behind the wheel, the speed limit and several other things would have been broken in her rush to her friend's home.

They met the manager at the doors to the small lobby where Will collected her mail every day at six. Mr. Whitaker was a nice enough man who could have been either a tired forty or a spry sixty. He recognized Irma and swallowed in reflex; this made Irma's stomach drop. "It's Will's, isn't it?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Whitaker nodded and led them to the elevator. "The neighbors called me about a loud racket in 4C about an hour ago. Ms. Vandom usually gets in about this time, so I figured she dropped something or some such. When I knocked on the door and called out there was no answer; the tenants in the other apartments pointed out that the balcony doors were open I called 911 in case it was burglars, but I don't see how they could have gotten up the fire-escape without anyone noticing." They entered the elevator.

"There's a trick to it," Taylor said, "But it can be done with the right tools. Do you have a way to get into the apartment?" Irma was glad that the older man was taking charge; right now her only thought was to get to Will. And hurt someone, if need be.

"I do." The elevator doors opened and they walked along the hall to Will's apartment. Several of Will's neighbors were standing at their doors, worry and macabre fascination evident on their faces. Irma resisted the urge to order them back into their rooms.

"No point telling them not to look," Taylor muttered. "It's human nature."

Irma grimaced. "Stay out of my head, old guy." Taylor grinned at her expression as Whittaker slashed the keycard in Will's reader. Both officers had their arms on their holstered sidearms as Irma slowly opened the door, though the former Water Guardian would have gladly traded her Kevlar vest and gun for green-and-violet tights and a blast of water coming out of her hands. "Will?" she called out. No sense in trying to be impersonal at this point. "Will, babe? It's Irma."

No answer. Irma stepped fully into the apartment, noting the drips of water and the lights being on as she surveiled her surroundings, a skill she developed years before she had graduated from the police academy, or even high school for that matter. She also noticed the blowing of cool air from the small kitchen next to the apartment's balcony as it wound through the living room at the edge of the building, ruffling papers and the leaves of Will's nearly dead plants. Irma's nose wrinkled as it caught the scent of rotten fruit, a familiar smell that seemed alien for reasons she couldn't identify.

Figuring that calling out Will's name any more was a waste of time, she nodded at Taylor and they split up, Irma heading towards the two bedrooms to the left and Taylor to the kitchen and living area. As she gestured for Whittaker to stay where he was, her mind betrayed her as it ran all kind of scenarios to explain the strange situation; Will met a guy and was making whoopie in her bedroom, the French doors blew open on their own, she was kidnaped by a serial killer or was lying dead and arranged in a ritualistic pose on her bathroom floor...

Irma bit the inside of her mouth and mentally slapped herself back on track. As her hand closed around the doorknob to the first bedroom she unbuttoned the clasp on her holster and prepared herself for the worst. After a second she turned and slowly opened the door to find...

Nothing. Just a bare room where Will stored a few boxes. The closet was wide open and mostly empty. Sighing with relief, Irma felt herself grow a little braver as she approached the second door_. _The dread returned as she twisted the knob again, only to find an equally empty bedroom behind Door No. 2. A quick search revealed the closets and bathroom to be vacant as well. Irma felt relief, then anxiety as experience told her that this might not mean anything.

She left the bedroom and found Taylor inspecting the balcony doors, though it was pretty obvious that they had been forced open from the outside. When Irma pointed this out, Taylor added, "Yeah, but look at the point of impact. Whatever the perps used hit like a sledge-hammer, but I've never seen this kind of indention before. It could have been a shovel, but it's too wide."

Irma should have realized that Taylor, who had worked in Los Angles for twenty years, would have seen far more break-ins than she herself. When he had told Irma that he'd moved to Heatherfield for the peace and quiet the small city offered, Irma had unintentionally laughed in his face. She had apologized and asked him if he wouldn't be happier in "Mayberry"; Andy Taylor hadn't gotten the joke. "Perps? Have you checked the fire-escape?"

Andy ran a hand over his short black hair (not dyed, despite his age) and rolled his eyes. "I'll let that slide this time, kid, but yeah, I did. Thing is, it hasn't been used and even if they had the ability to put the retractable ladder back they wouldn't have the time, according to Whittaker. Could it have been someone in this building, someone with a thing against Vandom?"

Whittaker spoke up from the door. "I doubt it, Officers. Most of our tenants are retirees and I've never had a complaint against her."

"Who has the apartments below this one that could have used the fire escape?" Irma asked.

Whittaker searched his memory and named off the tenants one by one. All of them belonged to the retirees he had mentioned and were staying in their apartments alone. "Was there a break-in?"

Taylor stood up with a groan as he answered. "Well, it certainly looks like the doors were forced; the latch was broke by whatever hit them. Nothing seems to be missing..." He looked at Irma for confirmation and she nodded. "Does Vandom have a SAT we can call?"

Irma was about to answer when she sighted Will's purse on the counter top. She quickly dug into it and pulled out a battered cell phone that was at least eighteen years old. Irma groaned as she realized that Will had been here and left her things behind.

Taylor squinted at the cell-phone. "Geez, that thing's older than my kid. She still use it?"

Irma shrugged. "It's... sentimental. She upgraded it with a SAT chip years ago." Taylor didn't look convinced. "Let's just say it's a chick thing, alright? Look, she was here, someone broke in without using the fire escape and now she's gone. We have to put an APB out on her _now_."

"Okay, okay, forgive an old guy his curiosity." Taylor reached for his radio as Irma studied the apartment again. Next to the purse was a mostly eaten plate of Will's god-awful lasagna that she had convinced herself she was getting better at every time she made it. Though Irma knew she was a patrol(wo)man and not a detective, she still had solved enough mystery novels before the last page to somewhat qualify. As she studied the layout it all began to fit together.

Will came home, put her umbrella up and lay her purse on the bar. She put up her groceries and reheated some lasagna and finished most of it before... something happened. Maybe while she was sitting on the stool...

Wait a minute. Will never sat on the stool when she ate. When Will ate she always lay on the sofa in the living room watching TV. It didn't matter how tired she was, she always made the trip to the couch to channel surf. In all the years that Irma had known her Will Vandom could never just eat; she had to be doing something else. Though Irma didn't know whether it stemmed from that ever-present self-conscious image of herself or from some of her mother's work ethic, Will would never be able to consume food without talking or engaging in some sort of activity.

As Irma re-checked the counter she found no reading material of any kind, not even an unpaid bill.

She checked the stool and found it to be slightly warm. Her mind flashed back to the distinctly dripped drops of water in the hallway in front of the door.

Irma returned to the spot and knelt next to the water, noting the slightly wet umbrella tucked into the rack next to the door. Taylor and Whittaker were talking in the next room, out of sight. When she was sure she wouldn't be seen, Irma placed her hand in the biggest puddle of water and concentrated.

When a Guardian is a Guardian no longer, they lose their link to the Auramere in Candracar that supplies them with the raw magical power. The shape of their power, however, remains within them as an Eternal Gift, both as a sign of appreciation and a way to better aid in their instruction of their successors. Late in Irma's Guardian career she manifested the ability to read the movements of water and was able to the trace the path of rivers hundreds of miles to their sources. It had seemed like a rather lame power to her teenage mind set at the time, but now that Will's life depended on it... not so much.

As Irma connected to the distinct molecular makeup that was still her patron element after all these years, she saw how the water _saw. _Like rewinding an old video too fast, she found herself floating in clouds as dirt and water vapor mated to form ice crystals. The crystal began to plummet to earth like falling angels where the temperature warmed them into rain. She, Irma, the rain, fell upon the streets and buildings and what few people there were out and about in the storm.

As the drops ran together Irma began to lose her focus as millions of journeys poured into her mind. She fought to keep control before she remembered something the Oracle had told her years ago: "_All are in one, one is in all_." Irma had made a smart remark about that, something about the Three Musketeers or the like, but now she understood what he had been trying to teach her.

Instead of trying to grab onto the history of one drop as it combined with countless other, she used that single drop as a starting off point to latch onto every molecule of water she could. A 3-D picture painted by rain began to form of the whole city of Heatherfield. Irma groaned but didn't hear herself as the strain began to sap her life-force; her focus was unwavering as she located the exact moment when the rain hit the coat of an individual that ran into Will.

From there she traced their hurried flight back to the apartment, fearfully noting the spider-like creature that trailed them. They disappeared once they were in the apartment and the rain stopped, the creature poised across the street. Irma knew what had likely happened next, though.

"Lair?"

Irma let out a gasp as she lost contact, the drain of the act causing her to gasp for breath as he body accommodated for the lost energy. She looked up into Taylor's worried face. "I'm... fine. I think Will brought someone home with her."

Taylor didn't look convinced about Irma's reassurance or her theory. "I've heard you have some sort of sixth sense, kid, but this is too close to home for anyone. Maybe..." Irma's glare shut him up good.

"I know this woman better than I'll ever know myself; the plate of food and the drips are practically screaming 'second person!' at me."

"Okay, okay, damn, you're worse than your father. I don't suppose that sense of yours can tell us the description..."

"A kid with baggy clothes."

Taylor stared at her. "...okay. I've already got the APB reported and they're sending someone to look over the doors."

"Good. Wait, isn't Gerry on duty this time of night?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Did you tell them that Will is a friend of mine and that if Gerry pulls any of that freaky stuff he doesn't supposedly do I'll beat his ass?"

"I passed that along, yeah."

Irma smiled at her partner. "Good." She leaned into the room where Will's landlord was staring at the French doors. "Mr. Whittaker, I know it's late, but could you keep an... _assist_ our crime lab guy with the doors?"

Whittaker smiled, having heard the conversation through the wall. "Oh, I'll do whatever I can to help Miss Vandom's privacy. I'm a night owl, anyway."

"Thank you." Will had always liked the man and Irma could see why. "Here's my card, SAT number on the back. If anything's wrong you should call 911 again, of course, but this is just in case."

"Got it." Whittaker paused. "I'm sure Miss Vandom is okay. I bet she's a lot tougher than I know."

Irma actually smiled. "Brother, you don't know the half of it."

Irma and Taylor left the building a few minutes later and got into their squad car. Irma's mind was still racing as Taylor started the engine and began to sweep the neighborhood, looking for any clues that could tell them where Will and the mysterious person had gone. Irma was looking as well, but also trying to touch upon the link the two women had shared as Guardians. She knew it probably wouldn't work, as even at the height of their abilities they hadn't been able to contact each other without Taranee's telepathic help.

Irma had always thought that with their Guardianship at an end, they would only have to deal with the evils of this world. That, along with family tradition, was why Irma had become a police officer in the first place: to protect her friends.

_Dammit!_ Irma bumped her forehead against the window, attracting Taylor's attention. "Lair?"

Irma swore not to even tear up as she looked at partner. "First day I met that girl I promised myself I'd protect her... I've come to find out I really suck at promises."

Taylor sighed. "Don't do it, Lair. You start that and you'll eat yourself up. Besides, a lot of things don't add up about this. Even if there an intruder, how would he have gotten her down the fire escape or past Whittaker? My _sense_ tells me that she went somewhere else after this happened, maybe to another friend's house or her parents'."

"And left her purse and phone?"

"Doesn't mean anything. People get scared, they don't think about stuff like that."

"Will doesn't scare easy," Irma stated. But she was pragmatic; she wouldn't grab anything to weight her down if she was running from someone. And if the intruder was... other-worldly, who would she call? Besides Irma?

If Will had left in a hurry, where would she go? Not to her mother, not at the risk of putting her and Dean in danger. No, she'd go to the one person in this world that could help. Well, besides Irma. "Taylor, could you drop me off on your way back to the station? I can get back on my own"

"Sure, kid. Where at?"

"The _Silver Dragon_." Every officer at the station knew about the restaurant, it being famous for its good food and pretty hostess on the weekends, though you were always polite to Ms. Lin because Lair the Younger would "beat your ass" if you weren't.

"You hungry?"

"No, but Will might be."

* * *

Dee had never met a person as cheerful as Hay Lin. She'd seen _cartoon characters_ as maniacally happy as this woman, but never any flesh-and-blood counterparts to her almost scary good nature. Of course, before tonight she'd never met giant spider monsters, either. Or transformed into a fairy with abs you could bounce a quarter off of. Okay, so it was a beyond bizarre night. Dee felt that nothing could freak her out again after this.

That said, it was a little unnerving to see her new adult friend being stripped by another woman so soon after making her acquaintance. Hay Lin's "gosh-oh-golly" attitude concealed a will of steel.

"Gah! Hay Lin!" Will shrieked as her friend yanked her soiled blue jeans down to her ankles; Dee was amused to see Will wore blue panties with a guitar-playing frog on the front. Come to think of it, Will's apartment had loads of frog-related merchandise in it; dolls, the wall clock in the kitchen, and even her sofa had green upholstery on it. Will had a frog fetish of sorts, apparently.

"Shhh! Grandma's asleep!" Hay Lin scolded Will, oblivious to her discomfort. "I can't believe you got attacked after all these years."

Will glared as she backed away from Hay Lin, who was now trying to remove her undershirt. "I can handle it, thank you." Will pulled the shirt over her head and revealed a matching blue top with strategically positioned lily pads; though not as "gifted" as Hay Lin, Will was nothing to laugh at. Dee wondered how her boobs would develop, now that she might not be living on the street anymore and wouldn't have to pass herself off as a boy. She still couldn't believe Will was thinking of taking her in; she resolved to say thank you when they were alone.

Still, there was something she had to do first. "Nice 'pads, Will."

Will rolled her eyes. "I have a problem, I admit it; if it's got a frog, and it's in my size, I have to have it. You're just going to have to live with that."

Hay Lin smiled at Dee. "Aren't they cute? I got them at a novelty shop for her. Cornelia didn't like them, but that's Cornelia for you."

"Cornelia?"

"One of our friends and another Guardian," Will explained. "She's very fashion-minded, even for a model."

"_Super_-model," Hay Lin corrected. "She's modeled for just about everyone, uh, except for _Playboy_ and those kind of magazines. Maybe you've seen her, Dee? She's a figure-skater, too; well, uh, not at the moment."

Dee smiled and shook her head. "I haven't watched TV in over a year and I don't really care about fashion. I mean," she gestured at her discarded clothes, "look at that. Not exactly Gucci, is it?" It was Salvation Army, actually.

"Oh..." Hay Lin blushed. "Sorry. It's just that she's so famous nowadays. Why, the only other person as famous as her from our town is..." Hay Lin paused and looked over at Will, who gave no sign that she was listening; in fact, she seemed to be tuning her friend out. "Er, why don't you shower first, Will? Dee still looks hungry to me."

"I'm not hungry," Dee claimed. It was a bold-faced lie. During the time she had been chased by the FBS she hadn't been able to eat; when Will saw her tear into that lasagna she must have thought Dee lived in a perpetual state of starvation. The truth was that Dee usually ate pretty well, her skills at obtaining and hoarding food more than adequate to keep her fed.

She was a little skinnier than she should be, true, but she must have looked malnourished to the women when she stripped down to her worn boxer briefs and ratty tank top that was too small for her growing frame. The Heart of Candracar hung around her neck and cast it's subtle light around her, probably making her look even drabber in comparison.

Whatever the case, Hay Lin wasn't fooled at all. "Riiiiiggghhhtt. The Lins have seen bajillions of hungry people over the years; you can't fool me, missy!" Dee wondered just how many adults used the word "bajillions" and decided that there wasn't very many.

"Well, I didn't finish the lasagna..." Dee admitted.

"Oh, thank the Oracle!" Hay Lin exclaimed in relief. "I was scared when Will mentioned you ate some. Do you have a stomachache? Are you dizzy? How many fingers am I holding up? If you see a light, don't go toward it!" Dee giggled at Hay Lin's genuine worry.

Will yanked lightly on Hay Lin's long ponytail, just enough to get the point across. "Not all of us can grow up in a restaurant, Emriel. I'm getting better, I think. Anyway, go get some food, Dee, even I can tell you're still hungry."

Dee realized that they wouldn't leave her alone until she complied. "Okay, okay. I'll eat. Never thought I'd be ordered to."

"Just go down the stairs to the right," Hay Lin directed, "And then through the swinging doors. The leftovers are in the blue refrigerator, just some stuff that didn't get sold. Drinks are in the cabinet next to it."

"Thanks." Dee got up and went to the door of Hay Lin's room, taking care not to step on the papers and toys(?) scattered on the floor. She stepped into the hallway and stopped to look back at the two women. "Uh..."

"What is it?" Will asked.

"Nothing..." Dee left, not entirely sure what she wanted to say. Everything was going so fast tonight, she didn't know where to begin. Maybe Will was right in her insistence they get cleaned up and go to bed; there really wasn't anything they could do at this point. Except eat. Eat good, clean food without having to swipe it.

Dee's stomach, long used to not being listened to, rumbled for the first time in months. She'd always liked Chinese food and even the trash in the dumpster had smelled pretty tempting. She picked up the pace as she skirted the stairs in her bare feet, the Heart bouncing almost jubilantly around her neck as she practically smelled the dumplings and noodles already.

Creeping silently into the enormous kitchen, Dee reminded herself that she had permission to be there. Opening the blue refrigerator door, her brown eyes widened in wonder at the sheer amount of _food _encased within. Her lip quivered as saliva pooled in her mouth; she almost started to cry.

Dee selected a few dishes she recognized and spread them out on the counter. She found some plates with the drinks in the cupboard and began to prepare her late dinner, delighting somewhat perversely in the placement of the different selections on the dish; it had been far too long since she had fixed her own plate instead of eating off someone else's.

She had put the plate into a microwave and was trying to puzzle out the controls when a _click _made her start and whirl toward the back door at the end of the kitchen; Hay Lin had been careful to lock it after them just in case. Instinctively Dee ducked underneath the stainless steel table in the middle of the room, only able to see the bottom of the door from her hiding spot.

The door opened slowly until black shoes and dark pants eased into view. The legs stood still a moment, as if surveying the kitchen, then closed the back door behind them and slowly began to walk toward the doors that led into the dining area. Dee's heart pounded in her chest fiercely as the legs stopped at the counter where the food containers were left out. She fought to keep from squirming when she noticed the gun and the baton resting on the hips of this person with a key.

_Cop_. It was all she could do to keep from running right then. It made sense that just when everything was going good that they would come for her. They always came for her, just when she was comfortable and safe, to stick her in some new nightmare and then call her ungrateful and evil. _No, No, No_...

Mercifully, the legs kept walking toward the doors, rounding the table as they did. Dee knew better than to breathe a sigh of relief but still thanked whoever was in charge that she hadn't been seen.

When the legs spun and were joined by a pair of thin but strong arms that yanked her from underneath her table, she quickly recanted her thanks. Before shock could set in she was lifted off of the floor and brought face to face with a woman too pretty to be a cop.

"Who are..." the pretty cop began to ask, but was interrupted by Dee's forehead slamming into the bridge of her nose. She swore and released her grip on Dee, who made for the swinging doors but was tackled by the cop and nearly crushed under her weight.

Dee struggled fiercely even as she was pinned on the floor. "Let go! I ain't doing nothing!"

"The hell you are! Where's Will?! And what are you doing with the Heart?!" Dee was surprised at this line of questioning but chose to respond with a kick to the knee-cap and a bite to the hand that made her attacker yelp and swear again, but still she held Dee down. Dee was deciding what to bite next when the doors to restaurant swung open, causing the combatants to look up, Dee's mouth still latched onto the cop's hand.

Irma had taken down drunk-and-disorderlies twice her size and shoved them into her patrol car without breaking a sweat. For a skinny juvenile delinquent smaller than Irma had been at her age to fight her hard enough to make her turn red in the face was a serious blow to her pride. To have Hay Lin and Will run into the kitchen just as the punk bit her hand made it worse. If she hadn't been so happy to see Will alive and well, Irma would probably have killed the girl.

"Irma!" Will cried in horror. Irma was touched by the concern until she followed up with, "Get off of her!"

_The hell?..._ The thief released her bite as soon as she saw Will and scrambled out from under Irma. She grasped the Heart in her hand and before anyone could stop her yelled, "Guardians Unite!"

"No!" Will said as the kitchen was swamped in light. Irma watched in stunned silence as the girl transformed into a Guardian. Fully changed, the kid put her hands up into a street-fighting stance and smirked at Irma. "Come on, old lady, let's go!"

If Irma had not just been called that horrible "O" word that triggered something deep in a woman's psychology and overrode all reason, she would have wondered why a juvenile burglar could use the Heart of Candracar. Because of the "O" word, however, Irma's only conclusion was that the thief had stole the Heart from Will and was an evil creature from hell. That called her "old."

Irma lunged at the ersatz Guardian despite the cries of her friends. She got within two feet of her when Dee pushed off from the floor and used her wings to spin kick at Irma's head. Irma brought her arms up in time to cushion the blow but was still knocked over a table and rolled off the other side. Dee felt very glad that she had snuck into that movie theater. At least until Irma rose from behind the table, wielding a large butcher knife with a murderous expression.

Will and Hay Lin were about to start yelling when an imperious voice from behind them called for the combatants to "Stop!"

Irma and Dee froze and looked past Will. Will and Hay Lin turned and saw an elderly Asian woman dressed for bed in an elaborate robe. Her long gray hair ran down to her waist both in front and behind her ears, creating a ceremonial look to her frail form. Eyes opened to slits and her head held high, she commanded obedience. "Irma," she said in a raspy voice, "put that knife down."

Irma slowly placed the knife on the table. "Mrs. Lin, I..."

"You." Mrs. Lin was addressing Dee now. "The Heart is not to be used in such a manner. Change back now."

"Hey, I don't..." Dee began to protest before being stopped by a look from Will. In a small flash of light, the Guardian vanished and was replaced by the young girl. "She started it..."

Yan Lin held her hand up for silence. It was a gesture that could have parted a sea and dug a mile-long trench through the opposite shore. "You two will clean up the mess you have made, and then we will talk of important matters. Will, Hay Lin, you will tell me what has happened." She turned to leave and paused. "Well? Get to work."

Irma and Dee looked at her in surprise, then each other with scowls. As the former Guardians left the kitchen the two began to pick up the utensils and pans they had scattered across the floor, careful to not make eye contact.

"I don't know what your deal is," Irma said as she gripped a spatula and stared pointedly at the girl's backside, "But if you're endangering Will..."

Dee glared at the pretty but nasty cop. "Hey, I saved Will tonight, so back off! And who are you anyway?"

"Irma Lair. I've saved Will's life before you were even born."

"Oh, yeah? You one of the Guardians?"

Irma blinked in surprise. "Yeah, I was. Guardian of Water, which is how I figured out what happened at the apartment thanks to the puddles you left behind. And you?"

"Dee. Just Dee."

"Runaway, right? Yeah, don't look so surprised. I've seen hundreds of you over the years; Heatherfield is a garden spot for your kind."

Dee's grip tightened around the rubber handle of a pair of tongs until they squeaked. "My kind, huh? Well, your kind are nothing more than bullies paid by taxes, throwing your weight around and not actually doing a damn thing."

Irma almost winced at the vehemence in that voice. It felt... genuine, justified. "Pretty nasty mouth for a Guardian. The Oracle must be going crazy to pick you."

Dee had no idea who the Oracle was, but didn't volunteer her ignorance. "I guess since I don't meet your approval I'm no good, huh? Typical cop, all high and mighty, but they never catch the real bad guys."

Irma frowned as she considered the accusation. "And are you a bad guy?" Dee didn't answer, busying herself with washing some utensils. "I'm sorry, I must not have heard you, being o-o-old and all. Are you a bad guy, Dee?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then what are you?"

"...just Dee."

* * *

"Grandma, you shouldn't be up! The doctor said you need your rest after the operation..."

Yan Lin snorted. "How can I be expected to rest with World War Three going on in my kitchen? That new girl's a fighter though, hoo wee! Did you see Irma's nose? Ouch. Are you feeling alright, dear?" she asked Will. "That bruise looks pretty nasty itself..."

"Oh." Will looked down at herself and realized to her embarrassment that she was still in her froggy-style underwear. She and Hay Lin had been removing gunk from her hair when they heard the brawl going on in the kitchen. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be running around your home like this. I just heard the crash and was worried about Dee..."

"Ah, is that her name?" Yan Lin asked as she inspected Will's bruise, leathery fingers tracing the edges of the injury. "Hmm, you seem to have formed an attachment to her already."

Will fidgeted, not from the inspection but from the observation. "Well, she did save my life from the Spider Ho that attacked us. Man, she was great! She didn't freak out or anything. She was also pretty good with her powers, even flying."

Yan Lin laughed. "You sound like a proud mother." Will blushed. "When Irma is done repairing my kitchen she will repair you as well. I seem to recall that she was quite good with healing back in the day." Both young women knew there was nothing wrong with Yan Lin's memory, which was often far sharper than their own. "But let's get you into your shower; you smell like the special we had earlier."

"Uh..."

* * *

After a quick shower and dressing in some pajama bottoms and an old shirt that may or may not have been hers at one point, Will rejoined the Lin women and they returned to the kitchen.

They first noticed that everything looked as it did before, with the exceptions of two agitated females on stools on either side of the table as Irma and Dee sat across from each other and stared unblinkingly into each other's eyes. Arms crossed and legs splayed slightly, their postures made a shared statement about their feelings for each other: I Don't Like You. Dee's slight smirk of defiance added "You'll Never Take Me Alive, Copper" while Irma's blank face threw back a "I Got Your Number, Punk." It was a lovely scene with the potential to break out into World War IV.

"Uh, nice work, you two," Hay Lin offered somewhat nervously.

"Thanks," both of them said flatly, still maintaining eye contact. Irma cracked her knuckles and gazed pointedly at Dee. "You know me, I always like to put things where they belong."

Dee smiled sweetly and suggested, "Then maybe you should be a maid instead of a cop. The uniform would look less _butch_, at any rate." Irma growled softly.

Will placed her hands on the table and gave both of them a warning look. "Hey, knock it off, you two. I know you got off to a bad start, but that's all behind us. You're both Guardians, you're sisters now, and I care about you both."

Irma leapt off of her stool. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it! You just met this girl and you're ranking her with us? You don't know anything about her!"

"I know she chased after that monster when it took me, the same monster that was chasing _her_ before we met. I know she's brave and smart and she needs... me." Will looked at Dee and smiled softly. "She needs me, and I need her."

Everyone but Yan Lin stared at Will in shock. It was Dee that spoke first. "You need _me_? Why?"

Will smirked. "Kid, I live alone in a two-bedroom apartment, I'm not even dating let alone married, and I spend my nights fixing lasagna for _one. _And I'm over thirty."

Hay Lin nodded sagely. "Ah, the big three-oh. It's all down hill from there."

Yan Lin snorted again. "Ha! Speak for yourself! Grandma Lin's still kicking it old-school!"

Dee giggled at Mrs. Lin statement even as Will's words sunk in. "But... but you have friends..."

"Yeah, the best friends ever, but they have families and husbands. Take Irma, for example." Will moved behind Irma and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Irma not only has a five-year-old son and a hubbie, she's a full-time cop and weekend radio DJ on KIIP radio. And Hay Lin here is an art and crafts teacher at our old school, Sheffield Institute. She's getting married in a few months to her high-school sweetheart, Eric."

Dee grinned at Hay Lin. "Really? Congratulations! Is he cute?"

Hay Lin sighed dreamily. "He's _perfect_."

Dee looked at Will for more factual confirmation. "Eric's a great guy and they're already planning on having kids of their own."

Hay Lin blushed as if embarrassed by the prospect. "I still can't believe he wants to make me Mrs. Hay Lyndon! It's unbelievable... oh, Dee, do you want to be a flower girl? I have these great dresses designed that would look fantastic on you."

"Uh, sure. If it'll help."

Irma gave a snort of disgust. "I hate to be the spoilsport here, but I'm not entirely comfortable with this arrangement. How do we know this whole thing wasn't staged to get at the Heart?"

Yan Lin placed a calming hand on the woman's shoulder. "Your own heart is getting in the way of your head, Officer. Will, did the Heart began to act up earlier today?"

"Er, I didn't notice since I was at work most of the day, but when I brought Dee home the Heart went crazy, rocking my dresser like..."

"Like a polar bear with a flashlight?" Hay Lin offered. Will nodded, amused at the metaphor.

Yan lin smiled at Dee, who was inspecting the Heart closely. "Ah, it sensed its mistress was near and couldn't stand to be apart from her. Can you not feel, Irma? The peace that surrounds young Dee, it's like a child with its mother."

Dee looked up in shock. "Whoa... mother? Am I gonna get pregnant or something? Please say no!" Will laughed so loudly that Irma and Hay Lin looked visibly startled; it had been years since Will had sounded like that.

Yan Lin chuckled herself. "I was speaking metaphorically, dear, no need to worry. One pregnant woman is enough to deal with at _any _time. My point is, the Heart would not be so calm in the wrong hands; Dee is the new Keeper and will require all our support." She looked at Irma. "_All_ of us."

Irma's mouth opened in protest, then closed as she threw up her hands. "Fine. Once Mrs. Lin puts her foot down that's it." She looked at Will. "But if you really want to adopt her, we need to know about her situation; parents, last place of residence..."

"Dee says she's an orphan," Will said, "and she left a foster home since it was too... 'rough'. That was a year ago, right Dee?" Dee nodded slowly. "This shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Irma shrugged. "Adoption's not really my thing, but I do know it can take a while to sort out. You have a clean record and a steady job, that will help. 'You' I'm not worried about, it's 'her' that could be the problem."

"What do you mean?"

Irma turned to Dee instead. "Look, I"m not thrilled with this _at all_, but you did save Will's life so I'm giving you serious leeway here. If you really want to stay with Will, you're going to have to answer honestly to this question, okay?" Dee nodded suspiciously. "Right. Have you ever committed a crime?"

Will looked shocked. "Irma, that's..."

"Kid's living on her own for a year and is still able to fight me like that must be getting good food somewhere." She turned back to Dee. "Well?"

Dee gripped the Heart tightly, as if she wanted to transform again. "I... yeah. I guess. But only food!" she said to Will." Just food! Most of the time I could get what I needed from 'leftovers' but sometimes... sometimes..."

Irma didn't look triumphant but pained. "If all you stole was food that shouldn't be too big a problem. What about drugs?" Dee's expression told her all she needed to know. "Guess that's a no. Lots of runaways get into that for the money or to handle the pain."

Dee snorted. "I've seen where that leads, _Lair_. I'd rather be dead than end up like that." Irma didn't doubt that for a second.

"Did you steal anything in Heatherfield?" Dee just stared at her. "Kid, we have enough of you tied up in the system as it is; I'm not trying to bust you, but I can't help you if I don't know what to help with. I became a cop to protect my family, not to get fat on taxes like you said. Right now the only things we have in common is that we're Guardians and we both like Will and that's going to have to be enough."

Dee swallowed. "...a supermarket on the edge of town. A Ma and Pa place really. Er, I don't remember the name. I lucked out when I tried the back door and it was unlocked; it must have shorted out, because it was an electronic lock... what?" The former Guardians were all looking at each other knowingly.

"Nothing," Will said. "Just what did you take, Dee?" The way she said it made Dee's heart ache; Will was ashamed of her and it was more horrible than she ever imagined.

"Nothing I didn't need! Some deviled ham, a loaf of bread, some protein drinks, a bottle of milk, a salad, some band-aid and Neosporin, uh... 'supplies' if you know what I mean." Hay Lin mouthed a "whoa" at that. " Some fruits, apples, oranges, that sort of thing. That was a few days ago; I still had a little left when the spider started chasing me, but I dropped the bag when I was running."

Irma appraised the list she had been given. "Pretty healthy selection you took."

"If I learned one thing from those nuns at the orphanage, it was nutrition. Healthier I am, the less chance I'll get sick and... have to go to a free clinic." She didn't want to say "die" in front of Will or even Hay Lin, who looked upset enough as it was. The way her arms were bobbing in front of her she seemed to want to hug Dee again.

"Weird thing is, this wasn't even reported," Irma mused.

Will sighed and put an arm around Dee's shoulders. "Look, I'll pay the supermarket for what she took; it's not like she broke into a register."

Dee felt a drop of lead splash in her stomach; she realized it was guilt. She felt guilty because Will was paying for her transgressions. Others had done it before, so why was it so unsettling now? Maybe because she liked Will and the feeling was mutual?

Irma held up her hands. "Hey, if it wasn't reported, it doesn't have to be. I know the place she's talking about and they wouldn't even notice that many things being taken. If you want to square the kid's sins away, just shop there from now on. I take it this wasn't the first?" Dee nodded. "Were you ever caught?" Dee shook her head. "Huh. This foster home you ran from, why'd you leave it?"

For a split-second something changed in Dee's eyes and she seemed to be looking right through Irma and Will like they had vanished completely. For several long seconds she fell into memories before coming back to the present. "I... I'd rather not talk about it. Do I have to talk about it?"

Irma was thrown by the shift in demeanor but quickly reasserted herself. "It depends on whether your foster parents would want you back. Would they?"

"No... no, they know I won't do what they... say. If they did try to get me back, I'd just run away again." Dee stated this without any bravado, just firm resolution.

Irma felt a tiny spark of admiration paired with a sinking feeling in her gut. _Christ, kid, what happened to you?_ _Do I even want to know?_ "Okay, that helps if no one's going to contest Will's right to custody. I'm glad you do that charity work, babe, because that's really going to help your case."

"Charity work?" Dee asked the woman crazy enough to want her.

Will smiled sheepishly. "That's right, you don't know much about _me_, do you? Well... I'm a veterinarian and I work at the animal clinic here in Heatherfield. The charity work Irma's talking about is a program where dogs and cats are used to help encourage seniors and veterans with disabilities. I've been part of it for a few years now. Let's see... I'm also a trained paramedic for people, too, and I'm taking advanced biology classes online, mainly because Taranee encouraged me to. She thinks I'm going to become some sort of researcher one day that can cure what cancers haven't already been cured. What's with the look, Dee?"

"Uh, nothing." In her head Dee was in a state of disbelief at her luck; she hadn't dared hope for a decent home and now Mother Teresa was wanting to adopt her. "Geez, I guess I could only be taken in by someone who does charity cases."

Will frowned. "Hey, no talking like that! If tonight's proven anything-besides that I need to get a sturdy lock for my balcony doors-is that you're a good person who's a had a bad time." She knelt in front of Dee and hugged her. "And only a good person would be picked to be a Guardian, let alone the Keeper of the Heart."

Dee slowly, hesitantly, returned the embrace until she was sure Will was real. Tears flooded her eyes as she realized this was the first time a woman had held her with love in her entire life. A sob escaped as she buried her face into Will's collarbone, both ashamed and relieved at her moment of weakness. Will stroked her back as the girl released her pain into her, knowing how hard it was to hold such sorrow inside.

The other women watched the scene with different reactions. Hay Lin was crying herself, drying her eyes with her sleeve; Yan Lin smiled benevolently as she patted her grandaughter's shoulder. Irma was more ambivalent; while admittingly touched by the scene, she also knew that this girl's arrival would bring more trouble into their lives than they'd known in years.

Still, if she could make Will smile like that, maybe the girl would be worth it. Irma sincerely hoped so as she reached for her radio to call the dispatch to cancel the All Points Bulletin on Will. When she was done she saw that Will was drying the kid's eyes with her shirt, just like Irma did when her own son inevitably hurt himself. Irma's heart softened at the sight and she thought to herself that if anyone deserved to be a mother, it was Will Vandom.

And if "Dee" broke her heart, an ass-beating would only be the start of what Irma would do to her.

* * *

Showers were gifts from God. At least that's what Dee thought.

When Dee had calmed down Hay Lin had took over comforting her while Will's massive bruise and minor scratches were tended to by Irma. The former Water Guardian's hands had glowed a brilliant cerulean as she traced her fingers around Will's injuries; Yan Lin had explained that Irma was manipulating the water in her body to repair the ruptured tissue. They had laughed when Will commented that Irma had cold hands. Dee noted that the healing seemed to weaken the cop slightly and she had to sit down again; Dee wisely held back another "old" comment before it rose to her lips.

After Lair had caught a ride with another patrol car Dee had been urged, nay, _forced _to finish her plate and second/third helpings until she couldn't hold any more. Will and the Lins had started to tell her about just what being a Guardian meant, but Dee was more interested in her moo goo gai pan than any of that.

Will realized this and suggested "tomorrow" would be better for the full course load; Yan Lin had agreed with this and smiled in a way that made Dee wary, as if the old woman knew something she wasn't sharing. Will had shot her a look that said, "I see it, too," and a head shake that added, "Don't worry about it, she's always like that."

It was funny how quickly they clicked together, Dee mused as the hot water and soap removed the sweat and dirt from her like molting skin. The number of people the young street urchin had been close to over the years could be counted on the fingers of one hand while that hand was doing a peace sign; Dee was not "socially capable" at all. And yet Will wanted her, liked her even.

Dee had immediately began formulating possible reasons for this, immediately hitting the most jaded and cynical possibilities first. As she checked them off one by one none of them seemed to match up, until she was left with the conclusion that it was all for real. But there had to be a catch, surely; no way this could just happen without there being a price to pay.

Maybe it was the Guardian thing, maybe that was the catch. Risking her life against monstrous creatures still seemed too small a price to pay to have Will, though.

She spent nearly an hour in the shower before she realizing how long she was taking. She dried herself quickly, wryly noticing that her boyishly short hair blow-dried much faster than it would have had it been longer; glorious things, blow-dryers. Dee threw the pajamas Hay Lin had left for her on and exited the bathroom.

Hay Lin had placed a large sleeping bag on the floor of her room big enough for two, yet gave Will and Dee her slightly larger bed on the grounds that they had been through "H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks" tonight and needed it more than she did. Dee had tried to protest but was stopped by Will, who pointed out that with Hay Lin's fists planted on her narrow waist there was no changing her mind.

Hay Lin didn't seem any worse for the change in sleeping arrangement, snoring her head off as Dee stepped back into the woman's room. Will was laying in Hay Lin's bed with her eyes closed; after placing the Heart on the night-stand next to the bed, Dee lifted the covers to slip in beside her.

"Took you long enough," Will murmured softly, startling Dee as badly as if she jumped out of the bed screaming.

"Geez, I thought you were asleep!" A pause. "Why aren't you, anyway? You must be beat."

Will's shoulders twitched in a slumber-deprived shrug; she was barely awake as it was. "I was waiting for you. I wanted to see you before I fell asleep, make sure you're here with me. Safe."

"Oh. Sorry, I just... really dirty here."

"No prob'em. Here..." Will moved to the far side of the bed so Dee had more room. The young girl lay hesitantly next to her until they were shoulder to shoulder. As soon as Dee was under the covers her body seemed to drop into a state of profound exhaustion, her eyes drooping and her head lolling over until it was resting on Will's slight shoulder.

"Sawry..." she apologized in a slurred voice but couldn't lift her head back on the pillow.

"S'alright. G'night, kid."

"G'night, Wuh-illll..." She fell asleep before she finished the word and was transported to a dream world covered by red grass and brown stones. Dee was lying on of the stones as she stared up at the pink sky; it was so peaceful it had to be a dream, but she didn't care. Didn't care at all...

* * *

Author's Note: In a hurry for Chapter Three? Well, aren't you lucky? Three is done and being beta'd as we, uh, speak.

The polar bear with a flashlight reference was what Hay Lin called the Heart's behavior in "It Begins."


	3. Family Makes You Crazy

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit work of fandom with original characters and storylines mingling with copyrighted counterparts. It's like peanut butter and jelly, but not as sticky. Okay, maybe a little sticky at the end... no, not like _that_. Geez...

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. And that's all I got. Weird, isn't it? Oh, and...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! '07, baby, to the HILT!

Ahem. And now for the story.

* * *

Chapter Three: Family Makes You Crazy

"You're doing it again."

"Excuse me? What is that, Your Highness?"

"You're bowing. You don't have to, remember? I've only told you a hundred times..."

"But that would be disrespectful, milady."

"Aaaaarrrggghh! Nolly, you're my daughter; the only things I expect you to do are clean your room and not ride in carriages with strange boys. The bowing thing... I've never gotten used to it when everyone else does it, and especially not from my baby girl."

"Your Highness, I am not a baby anymore."

"I know, I know... You're all grown up and beautiful and... _sniff_."

"Oh, please don't cry, mother! I didn't mean to upset you!"

"It's not you, sweetie, it's the hormones. _Sniff_, ah! I'm just so lucky to have a sweet, respectful daughter like you... heh, it must have been Mrs. Rudol-Galgheita who made you like that. I know it wasn't me!" Queen Elyon of Meridian laughed at her statement as her daughter was torn between amusement and horror; this was a familiar state for Princess Nola, whose dignified demeanor and staunch manners contrasted violently with her mother's rather rambunctious nature at times. "Man, I was such a brat!"

"My queen, do not say such a thing!" Nola implored with green eyes wide in horror, her golden waist-length hair bouncing as she stepped forward with dainty hands held out, as if to contain her mother's self-deprecation. "I'm certain that you were a lovely and calm child..."

"Hah! Just ask Cornelia when we see her, she'll set you straight!" Elyon tugged a black turtle neck sweater over her head and torso, pulling her long braids out and making sure they were positioned just so over her bosom; it had been many years since she had been a waif of a girl standing next to her more glamorous best friend and she never tired of showing the world that things had, well, _changed_. Elyon knew these displays drove her daughter crazy and that was what made it all the more fun.

With a red miniskirt and calf-length leather boots the queen was like another person than the one that wore the still impressive but not quite as revealing robes of state that was her usual garb. For their dinner at the _Silver Dragon_ the royals were dressing in Earthern clothes obtained during "diplomatic excursions" with the former Guardians, specifically to the mall in Heatherfield where they improved relations with the good people of Belk and J.C. Penny. "Are you sure you want to wear that, Nollie? It looks a little... stiff. Not that it doesn't look great on you, of course."

Nola was dressed in light blue pants and vest with a white sweater; when she buttoned the vest it almost looked like a business suit, not helped by the high-heeled boots that made Elyon wince in pain but which Nola seemed to prefer. The most extravagant article she wore was the belt that looped through the pants, the buckle of which was created by the blacksmith Aketon and bore the crest of the Meridian Royal Family. It seemed that whenever Nola went to Earth she always tried to represent for her kingdom, despite the fact that very few people there knew it even existed. "If you wish, mother, I could change."

"No, no, every girl has to have their own style, of course. But this isn't an official function or anything, we can just relax with our friends and stuff ourselves with Mrs. Lin's cooking. Maybe some jeans...?" Nola just stared at her, her expression clearly stating she refused to wear "clothes of men unless she possessed the loins of one" as she had stated during previous attempts to coax her into denim pants. It had been hell just getting her into pants, period. "Er, never mind. You look beautiful in anything, anyway."

Nola blushed as she threw her naturally curled hair back over her shoulders, the strands looking like a splash of golden water as the light from the morning sun hit it. "Thank you, mother... Mom. Shall we be going?" Nola flicked her wrist to look at her digital watch, a motion so smooth it almost seemed to be choreographed. "It is fast approaching noon in Earth's time."

"Crap! I got so caught up in dressing..." Elyon cracked the door to her room and poked her head out. "Tynar, Raythor, we're leaving now. We'll be back in a few hours, so try not to worry."

The guards nodded from their positions next to the door. "We will be vigilant, my Queen," Raythor said in his usual serious mood. "You may enjoy your afternoon without fear for your kingdom."

Elyon smiled at the guard. "Thanks! I'll tell the girls you said hi!" Elyon couldn't help but giggle at the look on his face as she closed the door. "Ready, Nollie?"

"I am. Oh!" Nollie patted the pockets of her vest. "Ah, yes, I was worried that I'd leave this." She pulled out a long serrated fang that looked capable of sawing off an arm. "Ingrid wished to have one of these for her collection. It's a steeling fang Sir Blunk located for me."

Elyon's eyes widened at the object in her daughter's hand. "Yikes! When I was that age I wanted to collect shoes, not teeth. Well, considering that girl's father it's probably not that surprising." She swiped her hand across the empty air, a Fold appearing at her beckoning. "Better put that... thing back. Stuff can get lost while Folding."

"Right." Nola tucked the tooth back and started for the Fold, but stopped and looked back at Elyon. "Er, my apologies. You first, mother."

"You can go ahead, Nollie. I know you want to see Ingrid badly."

"But I insist."

"That's okay. You go."

"But you're the queen..."

"Not for four hours."

"But you are always..."

"Nollly, sweetie? _Get in the Fold_."

"No, I simply cannot..."

Elyon groaned and blew her bangs off her forehead before positioning herself behind Nola. Placing her hands on the girl's shoulder blades, Elyon noted that Nola was was catching up to her height of five-seven with her five-four just before she shoved her into the dimensional rift. Nola gave a slight yelp as she vanished in a flash of white light.

"My Ladies?" Tynar called from outside. "Is something wrong?"

"Everything's okay, Ty," Elyon assured him. "Nollie was just being stubborn."

"Ah. My apologies."

Elyon laughed; the stubborness of Meridian's princess was well known and needed no explanation. "Don't worry about it. She takes after her mother." With that, the young Queen stepped into everything and nothing with a single step.

* * *

On a city bus in Heatherfield, three girls travel toward their unsuspecting future.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to come along? I thought this was a family thing."

"Of course it's okay; would I have invited you if it wasn't? Besides, Jami's coming, too, and she's been to several of these get-togethers already. Right, Jami?"

"Don't worry, Nestis, you'll love it. I was worried when Ingrid invited me the first time, but it was a lot of fun."

"But you guys have known each other for years! I'm just the new kid..."

"So? Jamila was the new kid then, and everyone loved her. Just quit worrying, Ness, or that pretty hair of yours will start to go grey. Besides, they love new people; heck, Grandma Lin asked me to invite you two _specifically_. It's all good!"

"...okay, okay, I'll shut up. Uh, thanks for inviting me, Ingrid. You guys have been really nice to me since I got here. It's so different from the Adando reservation... I'd never seen a real building that was over four stories tall before!"

"And I'd never seen a head of hair like yours before. I confess, as soon as I saw you I knew had to get my hands on it, and not just because I'm a hair freak. Do you how incredibly cool it looks? It's like the wings of a Merid... hawk, like a hawk's wing. Brown and blond streaks all together like that... a dye-job like that would take hours and major moolah and you just wake up like that everyday for free!"

"Th-thanks. Nobody else has... some people think it looks wierd."

"Well, the world is filled with stupid people, what can you do? If you're still feeling quilty about 'crashing the party', you can let me at your locks tonight. You cleared it with your mom, right?"

"Yeah, she said it was okay. Do you guys sleep over a lot?"

"Any chance we get! Right?"

"Oh, yes. Just don't expect to sleep much."

Ingrid Hale yawned and stretched her long legs and arms, her cool blue eyes closing in reflex. "Ohhhh... maybe Hay Lin will let us crash after dinner. We probably need some rest after that project drained us last night. Man, I couldn't do anything with _my _hair this morning." She ran her fingers through her bushy shoulder-length brown hair, which still managed to look great to Nestis even with several cowlicks. "Got a shawl for me, Jamila? Especially one that goes with my outfit?" She gestured to her brown cargo pants and green T-shirt (which asked, "Are you Mr. Right, or Mister Right Now?"). For som reason Nestis didn't know she wore a red bandanna on her left arm at all times, almost religiously making sure it was tied in just the right place.

Nestis Tobias Tawodi looked at the other girl as she adjusted her bright red shawl that covered her hair and neck. Jamila Sahrzad wore a simple outfit reminiscent of the Middle Eastern women she descended from as a way of honoring her heritage; besides the shawl she wore a black ankle-length skirt and a brown button-up shirt with sensible but sharp shoes. Nestis was fascinated by how she managed to look both traditional and modern at the same time; Nestis herself wore jeans, a jean jacket, sneakers, and a T-Shirt that was ripped long her waist to reveal her narrow torso and "outie" belly button. Ingrid had thought it a cool fashion statement when in fact pragmatic Nestis had just torn it on a barb wire fence and decided to even it out rather than throw it away. "You hate wearing these and you know it. And if I recall, the last time I gave you one you tied it around your face and acted like a bank robber. Mrs. Knickerbocker nearly gave detention when you "held up" the lunch lady."

"Hey, she was holding my pudding hostage! Desperate times, ladies, call for desperate measures!"

Nestis couldn't _not_ laugh at the mock serious look on her new friend's face. As Ingrid began to rant about the "right to dessert" Nestis caught sight of herself in the bus window behind her; she stopped laughing as her appearance registered. Despite Ingrid's encouragement she had always hated the way she looked. It wasn't that she was ugly, or even homely; her mother was still a beauty in her early forties and had passed on her good facial structure to Nestis. She was pretty, true, but she was also... fragmented, like a mosaic in a way: pretty, but not a whole work.

Her hair did resemble the plumage of the hawks she had seen and ran after on the reservation, the only home she had ever known before her mother moved to Heatherfield. Blond, almost stark white strands dominated her mane as it dropped below her shoulder blades but only served to highlight the dark-and-light brown hair that emerged in odd patches, much like the tips of feathers in Brother Hawk's wings. Even her cool gray eyes seemed more at home in the skull of a wild animal than a human's; her father had said she was part hawk and would soar above all others when she was strong enough.

Nestis's eyes flicked down to her hand where it lay in her lap. Her skin was neither the bleached white of her mother nor the bronze of her father, a full-blooded Native American with hands as strong as stone that had held her little ones with amazing tenderness. She was... off-white, she had always called it. A shade lighter than Jamila's cocoa skin, just different enough to catch people's attention; whereas most whites had been fascinated by her father's appearance, they had puzzled over Nestis with their eyes clearly asking the question: what was...

"...wrong? Nessie?" Ingrid was staring at her. "Are you okay? I... you're crying, honey."

Horrified, Nestis touched her cheeks and felt hot tears. "I... I'm... sorry."

Ingrid and Jamila violated the bus company's policy as they rose and sat on either side of Nestis. "Don't say you're sorry, you have no reason to," Jamila assured her as she removed a spare shawl and gave it to Nestis to dry her eyes. "...your father?"

And then Nestis remembered, amazed that she could ever have forgotten: her father was dead. She nodded numbly. "Yes... I was thinking of him... he liked my hair, too."

Ingrid looked pained as she put an arm around her. "I'm so sorry, Ness. I didn't know... but he was right, you know? You're beautiful, in more ways than one. And we were lucky you came to Heatherfield."

Nestis smiled, unable to tell them that the real reason she and her mother came to this city was because they had nowhere else to go. "Thanks... I guess it's better I get it over with before the dinner, huh?"

Ingrid waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Forget that; if you want, we can get off early and walk. Or we could skip it. I'm not throwing you to that bunch if you're not feeling up to it."

Nestis chuckled. "Hey, I thought you said they were nice people?"

"Oh, they are, the best! It's just... things get a little crazy when we all come together."

* * *

"_Snort_!" As far as things to say when waking up for the first morning of a new life, it wasn't the smoothest announcement to the world, but at least it was honest. Dee awoke with a start (and a snort) in Hay Lin's bed, momentarily confused as to where she was. The events of the previous evening popped up into her conscious like bubbles rising to the surface and for a moment she lay there in bed as she remembered everything. While this was happening she also wondered why Hay Lin had a poster of the _Mona Lisa_ hanging on the ceiling above her bed before she remembered the nice but rather manic lady was an art teacher.

Groaning in the manner of non-morning people and the resurrected dead, Dee pulled herself to a sitting position with the reluctance that came from getting an extremely good, if not uninterrupted, sleep. She had programmed herself to wake up occasionally over the past year as a safety precaution and thus awoke several times last night to Hay Lin's snoring and Will's warmth and deep breathing.

Each time, a touch of Will's arm confirmed that this was the real world and Dee had just stared at her for several minutes before falling asleep again. The last time she awoke Will's arms had been around her as she, well, spooned Dee but in a motherly way. Dee's heart had seized up as she cried into her pillow; even now it felt a little damp.

Thoughts of Will awakened an abandonment complex that made her quickly search the room for her new... "mom", she guessed, only to find it distressingly empty. She was about to leap out of bed and start running through the restaurant when a strange glow caught her eye. At first she thought it was some sort of miniature Chinese lantern, but Dee rolled her eyes at her own stupidity when she realized it was the Heart of Candracar obscured by a small note placed atop it.

She took the note and the Heart and read the former as she slipped the latter around her neck with one hand.

_D, if I'm not here when you get up don't worry. I need to make some calls and Irma wants me to make a statement about what happened last night. Hay Lin says she has the _perfect _outfit picked out for you and it should be next to the Heart. Brace yourself! _

_When you're ready come to the family kitchen down the hall, third door on the right. _

_Love, Will_

It was official: Dee now knew she was going soft. The "_Love,_ _Will_" at the bottom had mesmerized her in its simplicity. Will probably hadn't given the signature a second thought, yet for Dee it symbolized an impossible dream come to fruition.

The warm glow lasted until she looked at the clothes lying on the nightstand. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped at what she was expected to wear.

_So _that's _the catch_, Dee thought. _Not a big problem, but... damn_. _Just... damn._

* * *

Will had been up for two hours and seventy-five point nine percent of that time was spent on the phone, the other twenty-four point one percent doing what the Lin ladies told her to do in preparation for the upcoming feast. Their first command had been NO LASAGNA. Ha, ha.

Her first phone call was to the police where she gave a rather vague description of what had happened last, outright omitting the part the part where the evil Arachne-type monster abducted and her subsequent saving by her soon-to-be official daughter. The operator, who claimed to be a Holly that Will met at a patrolman's ball that Irma dragged her to assured Will that burglars rarely returned to the same place and that it was likely that any amateur that tried to break in an occupied apartment with a shovel would be caught anyway.

Will thanked Holly and silently hoped to God none of Irma's co-workers ever caught up with the Spider Ho.

The second call was to the Heatherfield Animal Shelter and Clinic where she worked. The vet on duty and Will's best non-Guardian friend (and also technically her boss) Bevin "Bev" O'Rourke had to be informed that Will would possibly be changing her work schedule this upcoming week. Will also figured that Bev's near-supernatural access to the gossip grapevine would inform her of the "break-in" and she'd be worried.

There was a certain satisfaction in being a hundred-percent right about something. "_I'm so glad you called, Will, I was so worried! Mavis at the beauty shop told Lorelai at the drug store that someone had tried to break into your building and I was so... well, worried! Are you okay? Do you need a therapist? I have a cousin who has great rates..._"

"I'm fine, Bev, really. I'm a lot tougher than I look, believe me. You should be asking if I'm able to come in on time, not recommending a therapist."

Bev laughed. "_Not very bossy of me, is it? Blame it on my Irish grandfather; he always treated his employees like family._ _When I was a kid I wondered why all my 'aunts' and 'uncles' worked in one place._"

"I just don't want any special treatment, that's all."

"_Special? Don't think I don't know all about those offers you're getting from out-of-state; if you weren't such a Heather Girl you would have left already. I'm lucky to have you and I know it. You're one of my most reliable people, Will, and_ _if you need some time off this week you're probably over due as it._"

"That's another thing... the reason I may need the time off is that I'm... expecting a big change in my life. I need time to get things in order for a new arrival and I don't know how long that will take. Maybe a day or two, I hope."

"_Wait a second... you don't mean... ohhhhhhhhhhhh, Will! You're kidding me! I always wondered if you were seeing someone on the side, but... when's the little one arriving?_"

"Excuse me? Uh, a few days, I hope. Well, she's here now, but officially..."

"_That soon? You hid it really well but... I wish you'd told me! My sister said I was a lot of help during her pregancy..._"

"What? Whoa, whoa, _whoa_, Bev! I'm not pregnant, I'm adopting!"

"..._oh? Well, that's great, too! What brought this on? Too many days staring at puppies and kittens?_"

"Not really... uh, it's a long story and it's still in progress, but I'll update you as soon as I can. Her name is Dee, by the way..."

"_Like the letter?_"

"I think so. It might be short for something... anyway, I have to go. I need to tell my mother about what happened; if she doesn't hear it from me she's going to freak out even more."

"_You're a real monster, Vandom_. _Telling me all this then cutting me off. Alright, alright, just tell me what days you need when you know; Lord knows you probably have the vacation time saved up_. _Whoops, here comes my three o'clock_. _Talk to you later, _Mom." With a throaty laugh Bev hung up.

Will smiled at the term even as she shook her head at the very idea that she could have hidden a pregnancy on her small frame for nine months. The lab coat she wore on the job must cover more than she thought. "Sorry I'm tying up your phone line, Mrs. Lin," she said to the elderly woman.

Yan Lin shook her head and chuckled as she stirred the contents of a large container. "Are you kidding? I've haven't been entertained like this in ages!" Will blanched at her. "Best to call your mother next, dear. I don't think that will be as fun, though."

Will sighed. "Yeah, I know. She's gets way too excited over things like this."

"That is a mother's perogative, to 'freak out' when her babies are in danger. Just you wait! That Dee is going to put grey hairs on you, I can tell!"

Will ran her fingers through her blood-red hair, the one physical attribute she was prideful about. "As long as it's not on my head, I can deal. Well, best to get it over with." She dialed her mother's number and it rung twice before being answered.

"_Hello_?" a man's voice said.

"Hey, Dean, it's me."

"_Me, who_?" Dean Collins said playfully.

Will smiled. "Very funny. Almost as funny as it was the first hundred times. Is Mom there? I need to talk her; it's important. Uh, life-changing, actually."

"_Oh? She's just getting out of the shower. Susan? It's Will, she says it's important... she'll be here in a second._"

"Thanks. Actually, could you put me on the speaker-phone? It's a family thing."

"_Of course_." Will could hear the warmth in her step-father's voice at the inclusion. While Will liked Dean, she had never been too close to him. It didn't help that she was a Daddy's Girl at heart, making it difficult for her to replace Tony Vandom for even a second in her mind. Part of her felt bad that Dean had never really had a chance with her from the beginning, but at least he'd had his own daughter to...

"Morning, everyone," Dee said from behind Will, her tone seemingly unsure as to whether that was the proper greeting. Will turned and smiled at the girl, then her smile dropped away to be replaced by a look of disbelief and and confusion. "Uh, Will? Something up?"

Will was about to respond when her mother's voice broke over the line. "_Will? Dean said you had something important to talk about. Is something wrong?_"

"What? No, nothing's wrong. You look great," she added to Dee, who shot a disbelieving look at her.

"_I do? Oh, god, is the camera on? Dean_!"

"No, mom, it's not! I was talking to someone else. Uh, first of all I want tell you-and I'm perfectly okay, by the way-that my apartment... sorta, _kinda_ got broken into last night..." Dee watched as Will yanked the phone away from her ear, the sounds of a frantic and distressed woman squeaking minisculey from the earpiece.

Eventually, and reluctantly, Will gingerly put her mouth to the receiver while keeping the ear piece as far away as possible. "Mom... Mom... _Mom_, I'm fine, really. As soon as it happened I packed up and headed for Hay Lin's... it was closer, that's why. Look, they didn't even get in the apartment..." Technically true. "...and I've already given my statement to the police. I'm here at the _Dragon_ with the Lins and we're getting ready for the dinner. No, I'm not cooking... oh, like _you_ can talk."

Will smiled at Dee. "Actually, there is one more thing. Now, I know you've always wanted grandchildren and, well, you're about to get your wish! What? No, Mom, I'm not pregnant... really. _Really_. Mom, it would be the second nativity story if I was. Thing is, I've decided to adopt this girl I met. She doesn't have anyone and we get along real well. Yes, she's a good kid, a little rough around the edges but still sweet. Yeah, she's beautiful."

Dee gave Will a look that plainly said, _Are you talking about me, or some other kid?_ Will grinned and ruffled her hair in response. "I'll bring her by tonight. Yeah, she's here with me now. Okay, we'll stay at the house tonight. I'm fine, Mom, the only reason I came here was for Dee. Yeah, that's her name. Uh, I don't know..." Will took the phone away her ear and asked Dee, "Is that short for something?"

Dee grimaced as if what she was about to say left a bad taste in her mouth. "It's... Diana."

"Hey, just like Wonder Woman!" Hay Lin said as she entered the room with an armful of vegetables. "Hi there, _Di_!"

"Dee, please. Just Dee, _please_."

"Her last name?" Will asked as she looked at Dee, clearly relating her mother's question.

"...Doe. Diana Doe."

Hay Lin giggled. "D.D.! DeeDee is _so_ cute a nickname!" Dee gave a pained smiled at that while Mrs. Lin chuckled.

"Diana Doe. How'd I meet her? We, uh, ran into each other. I'll explain tonight, okay? Yes, we'll put some new locks on the apartment. I'm going to have a kid now, security's top priority. I know, I know, I'm still your baby. I love you, too, mom. Love you, too, Dean. I'll bring some takeout tonight... Irma's bringing my stuff from the house, I left my purse. Yeah, it's good to be connected. Yes, she's already met Dee. Uhhhhhh, yeah, they're pals already. Very similar. Okay, see you tonight. Bye, guys." She hung up and turned to Dee, only to find the girl was no longer there.

"Really? I didn't know that," Dee said, bent over in front of the Lin's blender which she was apparently holding a conversation with. "I didn't think appliances had favorite flavors. Mine's strawberry." A pause. "Oh, gross, bean curds! Nasty! That doesn't sound like a health drink to me! Will! Are you hearing this? Sienna here likes vanilla smoothies, can you believe that?"

Hay Lin shook her head. "It's been years since I heard our appliances talk. Oh, stay away from our water heater, he's kind of a grouch."

"Right! I thought it was bizarre when the crane at the construction site started reading me the riot act, but this is cool! Can every Guardian do this?"

"No, just the Keeper of the Heart," Will said, a faraway look in her eye. "Well, since you're up and feeling better, I guess I can give you a crash course in Guardianship..."

"Actually, that can wait a while longer," Yan Lin said, placing a hand on Will's shoulder and smiling enigmatically. "DeeDee won't be the only one needing that lesson today, so it would be best to wait, correct?"

Will stared at Yan Lin before she fully understood. "Oh, right, duh. How could I forget?" She turned to Dee. "We can hold off on that. Right now let's get the table set." Will picked up a stack of plates. "Get the silverware for me?"

"Sure." Dee gathered the many chopsticks and utensils they would be needing to feed the oncoming horde and followed Will into the dining room. As they began to prepare the table Dee asked, "So, I'm meeting your mom tonight?"

"And my step-father and maybe my half-sister if she's not out with her friends."

"You have a sister?"

"Yup. She's a few years older than you, just started her first year of high school. Beatrice Bathilda Collins." Will laughed. "I just realized, we all call her 'Bee'! Her friends call her 'Batty' or 'Bats', poor thing."

"What is she like?"

"Well... she's a real bookworm, to be honest, like her dad. Really good in math, which I'm not, by the way."

Dee grinned. "I won't hold it against you. What about your mom... do the forks go on the right?"

"Doesn't matter. The forks, I mean. My mother works at a computer company called Simultech and Dean, my stepfather, is a teacher at Sheffield Institute. He was my teacher, actually, when he and Mom started dating."

"Yeow! That must have been akward."

"A little. I wasn't too thrilled about it, but after he saved her life during some Guardian business I realized he was a great guy." Will smirked. "Even if he was a mean history teacher."

Dee laughed. "So he's your step-father, but what about your real dad?"

"Tony Vandom. He lives across the country with his third wife. My mother was his first, by the way. I don't see him much but sometimes he'll drop into Heatherfield when on a business trip."

A thought occured to Dee. "So, what about a boyfriend?" Will looked surprised. "Or a girlfriend? That's cool, too."

Will poked her in the ribs with a chopstick. "Funny girl. No, I'm not seeing anyone. Honestly, mom was going on about that last night; I hope you two don't try to double-team me or anything."

"Hey, I don't want to share you with anyone," Dee admitted, then frowned. "What I meant was..."

Will set the untensils down and drew the girl into an embrace; Dee could her heart pounding next to her ear and it made her want to fall asleep right then. "Dee, I can't even imagine what it's been like for you. But I swear, on the Heart of Candracar, that from now on you are going to be the most important thing in my life."

A sassy reply died in Dee's throat as she simply embraced Will back. Some need she couldn't describe was being fed by Will and it was as necessary to live as the food she'd stolen just a few nights ago. Dee was literally starved for affection and Will was nursing her back to life.

In a seemingly out of the blue decision, Dee swore to fry Spider Ho to _ash_ if she ever got within a mile of Will again. And then she'd put the ashes in Sienna and hit _puree_.

"T-thanks, Will. I... f-feel the same way." They stood like that for a moment. "Uh,Will?"

"Yeah?"

"I know this sounds ungrateful, but... but what's with the outfit?" Dee was referring to the pink and yellow T-shirt, short green skirt, and bright orange hi-tops Hay Lin had left on the night stand..

"Huh? Oh..." Will pulled back and appraised Dee's clothes with a smile. "I remember this one... it was Hay Lin's and she wore it all the time back when we first met. You don't like it?"

"Nothing wrong with it, really, and who am I to complain but..." Dee gestured at the short skirt that barely reached her knees. "I've never shown this much leg, you know? It doesn't seem like something Hay Lin would wear."

"Oh, she wasn't trying to look hot or anything, she just thought it looked cute. I'm sure she has some more clothes if you want to change..."

"I'm good, really. No hand-biting from this girl, no sir." _Unless you're a cop trying to jump me_.

"Hmmm... still, we should ask Hay Lin for some jeans before we leave. It's a little chilly for this, and I'm sure she has a belt we can tie on you..."

Dee shrugged. "Hey, not picky, remember? But I gotta admit, I like that dress you're wearing."

"This?" It was one of Hay Lin's _qipao_ dresses she wore when playing hostess at the _Silver Dragon_, a silk dress buttoned diagonally across the front and slit just above the knee. It hugged Will's body in a way that made Dee envious in comparison to her flat self. It was also cut in half with Will's belly-button showing between the two halves and a deep fuchsia and would have looked gaudy on anyone but Will as her red hair matched with the fuchsia and made her a flower in human form. "Hay Lin insisted. She said, 'If you're wearing my clothes, why not wear the good ones?' It's too much, isn't it?"

"'Too much'? If you want a boyfriend, just wear that outside and wait for the line to form."

Will snickered even as she blushed. "Hey, I already like you, kid, no need to sweet-talk me."

Dee snorted. "Hey, I speak the truth. I'm glad I'm not a boy for real, or I'd have a crush on you."

"Actually, you'd probably be staring at Hay Lin's chest the whole time. All the boys in her classes have a hard time concentrating, I've heard. She thinks they look at her like she's their mother or something, poor thing."

They laughed as the door from the kitchen bumped open and Hay Lin came through it, carrying a large pot that was still steaming from the stove. The pot was obviously giving her trouble, both Will and Dee making moves to help her with it. "No, it's hot!" Hay Lin warned, her knuckles white from the pressure she was holding the pot holders with. With a groan that deserved its own epic Hollywood score she placed the pot in the middle of the table, a sigh of relief emerging from her small frame. "Have I mentioned... how much I miss Caleb?"

Will rolled her eyes. "Then you should have married him and brought him into the family business."

"Ewwww, shut up! Besides, Cornelia would never have forgiven me. Ugh, anyway, most of the food's ready... Dee? Are you hungry? We skipped breakfast so we could cook, but if you want you can dig in now."

Dee's stomach rumbled audibly. "That's okay, I can wait." Hunger was an old friend, and besides, she didn't want to appear needy.

"Ohhhhhh!" Hay Lin patted Dee's cheeks lightly. "My brave little DeeDee! As long as I'm around you'll never have to go hungry again!"

"Hey, what about me?" Will said indignantly. "I'm her provider, for crying out loud; I can cook for her!"

Hay Lin tactfully ignored her friend's insistence that she could cook worth a flip. "How do you like your outfit? It's the only one I had in your size, but it looks so cute on you!"

Dee smiled convincingly. "It's great, Miss Lin. Really... sporty."

Hay Lin waggled a finger at her "DeeDee." "Ah, ah! No 'Miss Lin' from you, just Hay Lin, little sister! Well, maybe if you're going to Sheffield you'll have to call me that... is she going to Sheffield, Will?"

"Well, I hadn't thought that far ahead, but I definitely want her there now that I think about it."

Dee frowned. "School? Ugh."

"Sorry, honey, but that's a given. Don't worry about it, it'll be perfect; you'll have Hay Lin there, and Ingrid..."

"Did somebody say my name?" a voice said from the doorway. Ingrid stood there with Jamila and Nestis behind her, Jamila being respectful and Nestis just terminally shy. "Hey, who's the boy in the skirt? He's got some nice legs."

Hay looked delighted at the girl's arrival. "Ingrid, you're here! That means you can carry things for me, whoo hoo! You're the next best thing to Caleb!"

Ingrid waved her hand dismissively. "No offense to the old man, but I'm no 'next best' to anyone. Except you, Aunt Hay. Hey, Aunt Will, I thought you'd be sleeping in today; did Grandma Lin rope you into fixing dinner..." Ingrid's eyes snapped from Will to Dee's chest, where the Heart of Candracar was glowing even brighter than it had moments before. "...or did something else come up?"

Will shrugged. "Oh, you know..." She was interrupted when Ingrid took several long strides and was at her side in less than a second. The teen grabbed the edge of Will's borrowed top and lifted it quickly but gently, revealing the light but still impressive remains of the bruise caused by the Spider. When Will raised her shoulders Ingrid must have caught sight of it; her powers of observation were far more honed than most kids her age, a fact Will was just remembering.

Ingrid looked at Will now, all mirth gone from her face. She was a little intimidating with the dark rage broiling under her features and the fact she could look Will square in the eye. "How did this happen? Did someone do this? Who did this? Where are they!"

"Calm down, Ingrid!" Will said as she placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "It's not serious and Irma's already looked at it. My apartment got broke into last night and things got a little crazy. You know, like the _old days_."

Ingrid blinked in comprehension. "Oh..." The rage died away as fast as it came, an ocean wave pulling back and leaving relief in its place. "Oh, Will..." Ingrid embraced her "aunt". "I should have been there, I should have been there... all that training and it wouldn't have..."

Will smiled indulgently as she patted the girl's back. "It's okay, I'm fine. I'm tougher than I look, remember?"

Dee heard a cracking sound coming from her hand and looked at it in surprise. The knuckles were popping from the tight fist she was making; she wondered why she was doing such a thing in the first place when she recognized the entrance of another old friend that been with her as long as Hunger: Jealousy.

"Ut-oh," Hay Lin enunciated. "Better back off, Ingrid, I think Dee's getting jealous."

"Who?" Ingrid asked as she released Will. Dee forced herself to calm down as Ingrid took second notice of her and smiled. "Oh, man, please tell me this isn't you new boyfriend, Aunt Will. Besides the fact he's a little young..." She gestured to the skirt. Dee was a little irritated, but then she remembered she'd been going for the "guy" look for over a year now. Success, it seemed.

Will placed an arm over Dee's shoulder, an action that was becoming familiar but had yet to lose its impact on both of them. "She's not a boy, she's Dee. Dee helped me out last night and... well, I'm going to adopt her."

"Helped out?" Ingrid looked at the Heart again. "Are you saying that she... _inherited _your old position?" Will smiled and nodded. "Holy... I knew it! Oh, uh, sorry, Dee. I knew you were a girl, I just like to fun around."

Dee was still irked until she remembered this was the same girl who nearly swore bloody murder on Will's attacker; she couldn't be all that bad. "No problem. I was shooting for the look, anyway. Less hassle being a guy."

Ingid snorted. "Ain't that the truth? Makes them wimpy, having it so easy... oh, man, Mom would beat me if..." The spirited youth crossed back over to her friends. "Will and Hay Lin know Jamila and Nestis, of course, and Dee does, too, now. This is Jamila, Dee, and the girl with the _freaking awesome_ hair is Nestis, but she prefers Ness. Say hi, girls."

"Hi, girls," Dee, Jamila, Nestis and Hay Lin said all at once, then broke down giggling. Will pursed her lips and looked put off that she wasn't in on the joke, but said nothing.

"Okay," Ingrid said with a final chuckle, "Any girl that can get with the program that fast is someone I'm gonna like. Sorry, Aunt Will, but you're the serious one, remember?" Will stuck her tongue out at Ingrid and the laughter continued.

Dee was still smiling when she asked, "Aunt Will? You have another sibling?" Did that mean Ingrid was going to be her cousin? What a family to get taken into.

Will shook her head as Ingrid explained, "Oh, well, she's not really my aunt, biologically and all but Hay Lin's my first cousin, actually... just kidding. But they're practically family, they've been tight with my mom for like forever. Hey, is Mom here yet? She's supposed to have gotten off the plane an hour ago."

"No, not yet," Hay Lin said. "But let's get the table set, okay? C.H.K.'s supposed to be here any minute, and Taranee and Irma are due in half-an-hour. Are you sure you don't want to eat, DeeDee? You're just so... skinny."

Dee glared at her stomach as it rumbled again. "No, I'm good. I'm just digesting last night's stuff, is all."

Hay Lin, not fooled at all, grasped Dee's face between her index finger and thumb and squeezed, the effect making Dee look fish-like with her puckered lips. "Oh, my brave little trooper!" With that she left for the kitchen, Ingrid and Will trailing in her wake.

"You guys kick back," Ingrid told Nestis and Jamila, "Keep the _new_ new girl company while I slave for you."

When they were gone the three remaining girls stared after them, Dee and Nestis wondering they had gotten into and Jamila knowing full well what to expect when the fireworks really started. Dee looked at the other two and, feeling she had to say something, explained, "The clothes are Hay Lin's. I didn't have anything to wear, so... you know."

"Well, they're not bad," Jamila began, "But I don't think that they're you."

Dee smiled in relief. "Thanks. Uhm..." She laughed weakly. "Man, I'm really out of it here. A lot's been happening since last night."

Nestis nodded. "I know how you feel, I just moved here myself. Miss Will said she was adopting you, does that mean you don't... have parents? Sorry..."

"It's cool. No, I don't. I mean, I must have, but I never met'em. I grew up in an orphanage and they wouldn't tell me about'em." A pause. "Dam-dang, that sounds depressing, but it wasn't as bad as that." It was a lot better than what came next...

"I never knew my parents, either," Jamila said sympathetically. "Not really, they passed waay when I was very young. I was raised by my grandmother, though. She told me a lot about them, so in a way I know them. Maybe Will can find yours for you, if you'd like?"

Dee waved her hand dismissively. "Hey, if they didn't want me, I don't want them. And if they couldn't keep me, I'm not sure I'd want to know why. Don't matter, anyway; Will's all the parents I'll need." She meant that more than anything she'd ever said in her entire life.

Jamila smiled at this declaration. "I don't doubt it. I've always liked Will, even from the first moment I met her." She remembered it well, an eight-year-old Ingrid proudly dragging her Aunt Will over to meet her new friend. "She is a very nice lady, with many friends," she informed Dee, who caught the warning underneath the smile: hurt Will, expect ten-fold retribution. Dee realized that beneath Jamila's calm exterior there was some fire to her.

"She is, and I want to be one of those friends." Jamila nodded in acceptance of this, causing Dee some relief. This was not a girl to cross lightly; while Ingrid was in-your-face fierce, Jamila was a more quiet strength, like silent flames that only made noise when they incinerated whatever stood between and their goal. Why on earth did she keep thinking of fire and this girl, anyway?

The other girl, Nestis, seemed even more ill at ease with these proceedings than Dee, though this seemed more to do with her recent displacement than any particular personality trait. Dee noted that even while standing still she seemed to be constantly in motion, whether it was her shifting feet or her very cool hair blowing softly in the air-conditioning. For some reasion Dee pictured her as running most of the time, as the girl possessed the same restless energy Hay Lin did but with a different, more somber mood. Nestis noticed Dee staring at her and nervously asked, "What?"

"Oh, sorry. I just... really like your hair. I've been to a lot of places, but I've never seen hair like that. It must be a pain to dye those streaks and stuff."

"She doesn't dye it," Jamila explained, "It's her real color."

"Really? You're lucky." Dee touched her own mop-top as she said it, painfully conscious of how it must appear to these girls. Even before she was on the run she didn't like talking to other girls. Or anyone, for that matter.

Nestis looked flattered at her compliment in a pained sort of way. "I guess... I, uh, like your hair, too."

Dee smiled. "No, you don't. It's horrible-looking, isn't it?"

The girls looked confused, then giggled. "Well, it is pretty bad," Nestis said with a smile. "You should probably fire whoever cut it."

Dee seemed to consider this. "Really? Hmmm, you're right." She walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall and pointed at her reflection. "You're fired!" She turned to the others and grinned. "I hope I never see her again."

Jamila chortled while Nestis tried to apologize. "I'm sorry, I didn't think..."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I wasn't trying to look good, just look like a boy. In fact, I'm thinking I'd let it grow out now that Will's taking me in. Maybe it would look good, you think?"

Jamila nodded to herself as she analyzed Dee's hair. "The hair itself is very smooth-looking, very pliant. If I may?" Dee nodded and Jamila ran her fingers through her mop-top. "Yes, very nice. Like the tail of a horse; that's a good thing, by the way. Ingrid is the expert on these things, but I think that you could still have a decent hair-cut made out of it before it grows back."

"Really? That would be nice. I still miss long hair, though." Dee looked at Jamila's shawl and smiled misceiviously. "Hey, what have you got under there? Is is blue or green?"

Jamila laughed, a rich sound that brought to Dee's mind images of Arabian royalty holding court in big palaces like in that _Aladdin_ movie. "Nothing that exciting, I'm afraid. I was going to remove it, anyway..." She drew back the shawl until it rested on her shoulders; her hair was a brown slightly darker than her skin and stopped just below her neck; a strong widow's peak that was obscured by her shawl cut into her forehead and gave a her wilder appearance than Dee would have guessed, like the markings in an animal's fur. "As you can see, I really don't bother with it much since I always wear my shawls. A little wierd looking, isn't it?"

"Are you kidding? I want to steal it for myself! I look like that guy out of _Karate Kid_, for crying out loud!" Dee made the "Wax On, Wax Off" motions in the air.

Jami and Ness laughed at that. "You're too hard on yourself, but if you want to, go ahead! Or I could lend you some shawls. I have more than I need, anyway."

Ingrid came through the door followed by Will and Hay Lin, each of them carrying a delicious-smelling dish of Chinese food. "Hey, how come everyone's laughing without me? I'm hurt... whoa, Jami, letting it all hang out already? You usually don't do that unless Dad's around."

Jamila frowned slightly but covered it well with a confident expression. "Dee wanted to see my hair. I told her that you were the one to talk to about that"

Ingrid brightened as she set her plate down on the table. "Well, I know a thing or two about a thing or two... uh, don't let my present rat nest fool you; it was a rough night last night with much hair pulling and ripping." Ingrid leaned over and inspected the much-discussed hair. "Yeah... yeah, I saw a girl with hair shorter than yours at the mall the other day. It was a sort of 1980's look to it, but... yeah, I think it would work. Maybe we can go to the mall tomorrow? I know this great hair place..."

"Oh!" Hay Lin interjected, actually making Dee and Nestis jump; you had to get used to Hay Lin. "Will and I were planning a trip before Dee woke up. We're going after the lunch rush tomorrow to get some new clothes for you, Dee. All the stuff we have is, well, dated, to be honest." Dee unconsciously shot a look at her traffic-cone colored hi-tops.

As if violating the laws of physics themselves, Hay Lin brightened even more. "Oooooohhh... I smell a Girl's Day Out coming on! It's perfect timing! Cornelia's in town for starters... oh, Nestis! We can bring your mother along, too! I met her at Parent's Night and she was so nice! Well, nicer than she... anyway, is she busy?"

Nestis was thrown for a whirl by Hay Lin's hurried plan-making; Dee could sympathize. "Uhm, not really. She's off on Sundays..."

"Grrrrreat! Hmmm, maybe Grandma 's crew would want to come along... that means we can grab your grandma, too, Jami!" Hay Lin was practically bouncing up and down, and then she actually was. "This is gonna be great! !" she said as she bounded back into the kitchen; a second later there was a crash and Yan Lin muttered something in Mandarin that sounded equivalent to "Why me?" or maybe "You're out of the will!"

The rest of the women stared after her, with even Hay Lin-tolerant Will amazed at her friend's scary good mood. Finally Dee asked, "Is she... eh..."

"Always like that?" Ingrid finished. "Not always... maybe it's the wedding?"

"That's a little bit of it," Will theorized, "But I think it's Dee that's got her so charged up today."

Dee raised her eyebrows. "Me? What did I do?"

"Well, you're new and..." Will smiled and shook her head. "The last time I saw her this excited was when Irma's son was born. In a way, you're kind of our new baby, Dee."

Dee actually double-taked at Will and the girls. "What? 'Baby'?"

Ingrid laughed. "Well, hey, we can spoil Dee until my brothers arrive! That's a good few weeks for you, girlfriend!"

"Your brothers? Arrive? From where?"

"From my dad with a long stop-over in my mom, if you know what I mean."

It took Dee a moment to put two and two together. "Oh, your mom's expecting! Wow, big sister, huh?"

"Oh, yeah, but I have no illusions; my mom tells me horror stories about my aunt-real aunt I should say-when they were kids, so I'm getting ready for war. Maybe you and Will can back me up; Mom says Aunt Will practically raised me until I was five years old."

"Really?" Dee was a little disappointed that she wasn't Will's "first" kid, but tried not to show it.

Ingrid still caught it, though. "Hey, don't worry, babe, she's all yours now! If anything, her handling me is going to make it easier on you! Me, I'm at just the right age where Mom can guide me in her areas of expertise. For her that's boys, dating, shopping..."

"'Shopping?'" Dee turned toward the new voice and saw a flower-covered expanse that seemed to stretch forever. She felt bad when she realized she was looking at the enlarged stomach of a woman standing in the doorway. Her eyes traveled slowly upward until they landed on a face so pretty, she almost nearly even came close to possibly rivaling Will's. Blond pigtails hung on the sides of her face and fell past her chest to lay lightly on her stomach; lovely blue eyes took in the occupants of the room with glee. "I'm dying to go shopping! Oh, hello. What's your name, young man?"

Dee actually looked around for the young man in question before she realized the pregnant lady was talking to her; Dee longed for the hair she wore as a Guardian. And the abs, definitely with this outfit. "Um, Dee. Just Dee."

"Well, Dee, I... um, that's a lovely-er-handsome skirt you're wearing there. Hey, isn't that Hay Lin's?"

"Actually, it's 'D' for Diana," Will supplied.

The pretty pregnant lady looked horrified. "Oh, I'm so sorry, dear! I thought... your hair..."

"It's okay," Dee reassured her, worried that if she got too upset she explode and shower them with fetuses or something; Dee had no experience with pregnant women at all, so she had no idea what to expect. "I was going for the boy look."

The woman frowned. "But the Boy Look died ages ago... but the Cross-Dress fad is coming back, so you could still make it work."

"Uhmmm... thank you?"

"Diana... Like Wonder Woman?" Ingrid mused. "Cool! Hey, do you go by 'Di'?"

"It's 'DeeDee'!" Hay Lin supplied from the kichen, somehow tuned into the conversation and added a sing-song, "_My-little-DeeDee_! Oh, and Will's. Hey, Will, you sure I can't have her?"

"Oh, no you don't!" Will replied fiercely, shaking a fist at the kichen. "She's mine, you hear! Diana Doe Vandom, got it! Right, Diana?"

Dee shook her head as if the motion made her nauseous. "_Just_ and _only_ Dee, _please_. _Please_."

"Dee!" A juvenile voice squeaked. Behind the fashionable pregnant lady a plains-clothes Irma Lair was carrying a young blonde-haired boy in her arms; it was he who was saying, "DeeDee! Deedeedeedeedeedeedeedeedee!"

Irma caught sight of Dee's outfit and burst out laughing. "Oh, man, here I was wondering if you'd still be here and you're already trying on Hay Lin's clothes! Cute look, Dee!"

"DeeDee! Deedeedeedeedeedee!" The toddler had just now associated the name with Dee herself and was reaching for her with snot-covered hands. "Dee-Dee-Dee! Dee!"

On the other side of the pregnant lady a girl dressed almost entirely in blue and with the most beautiful head of hair Dee had ever seen shot her a disgusted look. Raising a hand imperiously, she pointed at Dee and asked, "Who is this vagrant and why is he wearing women's clothes! Explain yourself!"

"She's not a guy, Nolly," Ingrid explained, "She's a chick named Dee. Hey... Chick-A-Dee!"

"DeeDee! Deedeedeedeedeedee... _pee_? Peedeepeedeepeedeepee! Dee... _pee_!" Irma's son finished with finality and a bubbling laugh. Snot bubbling, actually.

"D.P?" an elderly woman's voice said from the hall behind Irma and Nola. "Who's that? Some new rapper the girls are listening to?"

"I believe that is the new Keeper," a calmer woman stated.

"Oh?" An older black woman about Yan Lin's age peered over Irma's shoulder. "We see the Heart, but... my word, it's on a boy! In a skirt!"

A red-haired woman a few years older than Will shook her head. "Kaddy, your glaucoma's acting up again. That's a girl... I think."

The woman called Kadma glared at the younger woman. "Well, excuse us, Miss Born-Again. Some of us aged naturally."

"Is that the royal 'us' or are you just being a grouchy old lady?"

"Cornelia!" A pair of arms embraced the pregnant woman from behind, succeeding in reaching halfway around her belly. "You look great! Well, you look like a _whale_, but you know you can pull off anything. Love the hair, by the way."

"You would," Cornelia replied snarkily.. "It's the style in Paris, for your information."

"Go Paris! Whoa, who's the boy? In the skirt? He's kinda cute."

"A relative of Guardian Vandom's, mother," the blue-dressed girl answered somewhat dismissively to the subject, still glaring at Dee as if she offended her somehow. Dee glared right back with a "Bring It, Princess!" edge to her gaze, unaware that Blue Girl actually was a princess. Not that it would have mattered since Dee had a _very_ low opinion of authority.

"Oh? Why's he wearing the Heart, it only works for girls. Hey, Heart Boy, want to date my daughter? She's bratty but cute, takes after me!"

"_Mother_!"

"What works for girls and who takes after Elyon?" a new voice asked. "More importantly, why's everyone standing in the doorway?"

"Because Cornelia won't move, Taranee," Irma supplied, throwing a smug look at her supposed friend. "Or can't! Man, I've wanted to see you fat like that for years! Tease me about my pregnancy, will you!"

"I'm not fat, I'm _carrying_. _You _were fat because you ate like a pig."

"When the twins arrive, I'm kicking your cover girl butt. I don't care if you're laid up in your-oh,shi... Cornelia, I was kidding! Don't cry!"

"It's not you, it's Will's dress! She looks so good in it! _Sniff_."

Ingrid patted Cornelia large belly comfortingly. "Mom, calm down! What if Dad saw you like this?"

"Oh, he like he cares! Running off to Meridian every chance he gets! Oh, I don't mean that... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Oh, Cornelia!" The pair of arms, or rather the person the arms belonged to, said. "I swear I'll order that deadbeat not to leave Earth until your boys are in college!"

"Oh, thank you, Elyon! But if he was was here, I'd kill him. And maim him and... arrrrrrgh, that _man_! After we made love one last time, of course."

"Eww, mom, my friends are here! And Dee thinks we're crazy already! You're not helping!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Oh, mom, not again. Dee, I swear, it's not always like this..."

"Dee _pee_! Deep Pee!"

Another crash from the kitchen. "Oh, did Tommy say a new word! Auntie Hay Hay's coming, Tom-Tom!" _Another_ crash. "Sorry, Grandma! Was that an antique or something, 'cuz it looked really old..."

"Ai ya! Why couldn't I have had a grandson that never went _near_ a kitchen?"

"Hay Hay?" Tommy said, squirming wildly in Irma's arms. "Hay Hay pee Dee Pay Day Peedy Day Dee Pea Pea Payd deep pee da pee..." And so on.

Will wrapped her arms around Dee from behind and looked down at her with affectionate pity. "Welcome to the family, kid."

Dee just shook her head as she stared at the insanity. "This whole time I thought there was catch, but now I realize, this whole situation _is _the catch. You're worth it, Will, I'm sure, but what the heck did I just get into?"

"Trust me, soon enough you'll wonder how you lived without it."

"Oh, god, I think my water broke!" Everyone turned to Cornelia with fearful expressions. "Oh, my bad. Gas."

* * *

Author's Note: How'd you like _that_? My favorite part? Hard to choose, but...

_"Oh, no you don't!" Will replied fiercely, shaking a fist at the kichen. "She's mine, you hear! Diana Doe Vandom, got it!"_

Maternal Will is pretty hawt, don't you think? Hey, she's in her thirties in this one, nothing creepy about it! Anyway, a few trivia bits.

The part where Will is talking to her boss about her "long story" "still in progress" and promises to "update" her as soon as possible? Yeah, that's no accident.

The outfit Dee wears is the one Hay Lin wore for most of Season One. That skirt should have drove the FCC crazy, you'd think.

"D" for Diana's a reference for the titles of the second season.

Jamila's last name is taken from Scheherazade, the story-teller of _1,001 Arabian Nights_ whose Persian name is Sahrzad. Nestis' tribe's name is from the Cherokee word "Adanvdo" for "Heart". Her last name is Cherokee for "hawk" and her middle name (actually her mother's maiden name) is another Animorphs reference to the character Tobias, a boy stuck as a red-tailed hawk. Subtle, huh? At the end of the next chapter I'll have a segment detailing the girl's names.

As promised, lots of old characters made their appearances, pretty much all the Guardians, actually. The dinner's next followed by... DESTINY! And fortune cookies, yum.


	4. Dinner and a Lightshow

Disclaimer: Diana, Jamila, Ingrid, Nestis, and Nola are mine while the W.I.T.C.H characters and settings are Disney's. They's my baby girls!

Author's Note: Here's a breakdown of the DJINN girls' names with info from various sources, including and plus several baby name books.

-**Diana Doe**- Diana is from an Indo-European word meaning "heavenly" or divine and "Divine One", a definition a lonely Will can agree with since she sees Dee as a gift from above and also syncs with Dee's position as the Guardian of Quintessence; Diana is also the name of the Roman Goddess of the Hunt, forest, childbirth and fertility. Diana is also used in honor of Princess Diana "Di" Spencer of Wales, who was noted for her charity work primarily against use of landmines and discrimination of AIDS victims. "Doe" is used primarily in the United States as a place-holder name in legal actions or investigations where a person (John, Jane or Baby Doe being examples) is anonymous. Why Dee has this name will be explained eventually, but it has led to her having the popular nickname of DeeDee, much to her annoyance. Dee is "The Divine One Who is Unknown."

-**Jamila Sahrzad**- Jamila is Arabic for "beautiful", a fitting name for an attractive girl with an equally caring heart. Sahrzad, as mentioned before, is the Persian name of **Shahrazada** or **Scheherazade,** the narrator of _1,001 Arabian Nights_ and means "person of the city" referring to her years in Heatherfield and Fire's connection with civilization. Called Jami by most, she shares this nickname with a character in strayphoenix's Eclipse story, another next generation fic in the WITCH category. (We're shameless pluggers for each other and have even talked about a crossover.) Jami is the "Beautiful Person of the City."

-**Ingrid Hale**- Ingrid is Old Norse for "daughter of a hero" (Caleb, of course, and her mother, too) and also means "beautiful." Hale is Old English for "nook" or "retreat" and is the English synonym of strong and hearty, accurate descriptors of the Hale family's spirit and the Earth Guardians. "Beautiful Daughter of a Hero Who is Strong."

-**Nestis Tobias Towadi**- Nestis is a variation of Netis, a Native American name meaning "trusted friend" and "worthwhile" and Ness is both of those with her strong loyalty to her family and friends. Tawodi is the Cherokee word for "hawk" and Tobias is an homage to the Animorphs series and Nola's mother's maiden name. Like Dee, Nestis will have her own nickname for her initials revealed in this chapter. Ness is the "Trusted Friend of the Hawk."

-**Nola Brown**- Nola is Latin for "small bell" (Nola's sweet voice and delicate bearing) and Gaelic for "sensual" (her silken hair) and "noble" (her status and disposition). Brown is possibly connected to Bronwen, a Welsh name that means "breast" (bron and indicative of Nola's compassion, not her boobs) and "white, fair, blessed" (the word gwen and meaning her good fortune as a royal). She was originally going to be called Noel, the French word for Christmas. Water is used for Christian baptisms and purification rituals in all major religions including Islam, Judaism and Shinto (remember Dee's shower? Total accident, I'm afraid.); as such, I envisioned my Water Guardian having a saintly bearing. Nola is the "Sensual and Noble Belle with the Fair Heart."

If you haven't guessed, I have a thing about names. At the end of the chapter I'll put up some of the original W.I.T.C.H. character's name definitions, too.

* * *

Chapter Four: It Begins Again

It was a madhouse. There was no other way to describe it.

As soon the pregnant lady-Cornelia the model and figure skater and Ingrid's mother to boot-was seated at the table the... the _flood_ of women filled the room. An overwhelmed Dee clung tightly to Will's _qipao_ as the assorted females hobnobbed and conversed in their exotic (to Dee) tongues with their strange terminology.

"Oh, come to Auntie Hay Hay, Tom-Tom!" Hay Lin commanded in a sugary-sweet voice to Irma's son, who was strainining to get out of his mother's arms. Officer Lair's expression was resigned yet amused as she handed her first-born over to her oldest friend. Hay Lin made kissing noises as she smooched his soft cheeks, Thomas Jr. squealing with delight.

Irma looked over at the woman called Taranee and sighed. "And the brainwashing continues."

Taranee laughed. "Look at it this way: she'll be attending to his every need and want all afternoon." To steady herself Dee tuned out everyone else and examined this Taranee. She was around Will's age with a pair of visor-like glasses atop her nose, an oddity now that progresses in laser sugery had almost eliminated the need for them. Her hair was an elaborate series of shoulder-length braids and tendrils woven together with beads and bands that made her look vaguely plant-like, but still very cool. She wore a traditional-looking African robe that was fiery orange and red, similar to what Dee had seen in black communities in her travels.

"That's true; Momma needs downtime, anyway. Hey, what's with the outfit? I thought this was a casual deal." Irma gestured to her off-the-rack blue sweater and jeans.

Taranee looked down at herself with a confused expression; Dee pegged her as the type who could remember minute details in textbooks but was equally likely to forget what she was wearing. "Oh, I was giving a lecture this morning and didn't change after it was over. Uh, you have a little... snot, on your shirt. There. And there. There, too."

Irma wiped the mucus off with her sleeve, which had ample amounts of dried snot on it already. "Thanks, T. It's a wonder that boy doesn't dehydrate."

Taranee made a disgusted face. "Doesn't that make you... queasy?"

Irma smirked at her friend. "After hanging with the Stink Monkey all those years? Not easily."

Dee supposed "Stink Monkey" was a nickname for an old friend, but none of the ladies here seemed to smell that bad. Maybe it was a dog? Or a real monkey? That stank?

Yan Lin had entered the room and was embracing the Kadma lady and another older woman. "Glad you girls could make it. I was worried you two wouldn't be able to get away for this, especially you, Halinor."

"The Oracle insisted," Halinor replied. "He wanted a member of the council present at this event. And he did mention bringing back some noodles for him. Unofficially, of course." The older ladies laughed as Dee puzzled over who this Oracle was; all she knew was that he had something to do with the Heart.

Elyon, the pair of arms who had embraced Cornelia, was revealed to be an attractive young woman who reminded Dee of a Precious Moments figurine she had seen; she had an aura of youth and vitality to her that made her feel... kiddy. Her long chalk-colored hair had been pulled into thick braids identical to Cornelia's and the rest of her slightly wild mane fall down past her shoulders. Elyon had a certain impish aura that warned of potential mischief and a still-girlish quality that Dee found herself attracted to; if she hadn't been so unnerved by the proceedings she would have walked over to talk with Elyon, just to see what stories she would tell.

The Blond Bimbo in Blue (Dee called her Three B for short) was surpisingly revealed to be Elyon's daughter. That was hard to believe as the two seemed to be as different as Night and Day. As they conversed with Cornelia Elyon was excited and wanted to know everything she had missed while Three B was reserved to a fault; she was pleased to see Cornelia, obviously, but barely showing it. Dee labeled her as "anal" with an experienced eye for people. This girl was not going to be easy get along with.

But good god, what a head of _hair_ on her.

"Oh, Cornelia, you look so beautiful!" Elyon spouted as she fussed with Cornelia's hair and clothes for reasons Dee couldn't even begin to identify. "I know I said 'whale', but you know I've always loved whales!"

Cornelia smirked. "Right... Nola, you're becoming more beautiful every time I see you. Have you got a boyfriend yet?"

Three B chortled so pleasantly it grated Dee's ears just on principle; no one should have a laugh that sweet. "No, I'm afraid not. My studies keep me very busy..."

"Oh, pffffft! You're as smart as Taranee is, you're probably years ahead by now! You should live a little, get crazy! Make Elyon have to finally act responsible!"

"Hey! I run my own kingdom, Shamu!" The two women immediately began play-cat-fighting, insulting each other's looks and capacities and loving every minute of it. Nola's pained and confused expression made Dee and Will laugh as much as the banter.

From Three B, Dee shifted her focus to the other girls as Ingrid practically tackled the red-haired woman with obvious familiarity. "Hey, Cassie! Why haven't you told me how cute I'm getting yet?"

Cassidy chuckled. "You're too fast for me, kid, I was just about to mention that! Wow, you let your hair down already, Jamila? Is Caleb coming to dinner?" Jamila grimaced, an expression that seemed unsuited to her face. "Oh, don't give me that. Everyone already knows, except him, of course."

"Still chasing Ingrid's father, Jamila?" Nola asked as she hugged her. "I would wish you luck, but..."

Jamila gave a lady-like noise of disagreement. "Please, I've grown past that now. A silly little crush, that's all."

Ingrid nodded in agreement. "Yeah, uh huh, exactly what she said... oh, hey, Dad!" Jamila whirled to where Ingrid was staring only to find empty space. The tricked girl scowled and punched her friend in the arm. "Ow! Such hostility! You know I think you'd make a good step-momma, Jami!"

"If I was your mother..." Jamila threatened, pausing for dramatic effect. ."..I'd make you wear dresses. Everyday. With _frills_." The last word was said with the tone reserved for death threats and/or torture. Dee didn't see the what the big deal was...

"Noooooooo!" Ingrid moaned as she threw her hands in the air. "Anything but _that_! The horror, the _horror_!"

A mad house. Plain and simple. Nestis slowly skirted the clusters of terrifying females and inched close to Dee. "Dee? Can I stand by you? I know it sounds wierd..."

Dee shook her head. "No, it doesn't. Get over here before you get knocked out a window."

"Thanks." Nestis took up position on Will's other side, who placed her arms around their shoulders to steady them. "Sorry, Miss Will, it's just so..."

"Scary? I know the feeling. A long time ago I was a transplant to Heatherfield just like you two. But I was in good hands and so are you." Will smiled and gave a little shake to their shoulders. "So don't worry! This is going to be great, trust me."

Ingrid, Nola and Jamila came over to where the transplants were hiding. Ingrid shot a mock-stern look at Will, who in turn pretended to be mollified. "Now, Auntie Dubya, you know you can't keep them safe forever."

Will clutched the the two girls to her in an over-dramatically fashion. "But they're just so innocent! Especially Dee! Look at how _frightened_ she is!" Nestis laughed at her over-acting.

Dee snorted and stepped away from Will to face the three girls. "Sh-yeah, right. I ain't afraid of you, Ingrid, or your life-size Barbie doll."

Ingrid slapped her forehead and grinned in amusement. "Whoa ho, look who's talking tough! Are you gonna take that, Nollie?"

"And what am I taking?" Nola shot Dee yet another disapproving glance. "Ah, I see. The toy with the large breasts. Very funny. You're not a respectful one, are you, Diana?"

Dee faced the princess and smirked. "It's Dee, you don't have to show off by adding syllables to it. And I'm _very_ respectful... when it's due."

Nola reared up to her full height, a full two inches over Dee that seemed a lot taller to those watching this event. "I suppose I don't meet your standards, then?"

"Well... I do like the hair. I just wonder if there's anything under it besides a pretty face."

Nola seemed uncertain for a second, having possibly been insulted and complimented in the same sentence. She quickly regained her mental footing, however. "There is, believe me. But you should be asking yourself that same question, since your new duties will tax much more than your wit. Are up for the challenge, I wonder?"

Dee's face could have been carved from stone. "All I know in life is challenge. I can handle it. I can handle _anything_." _Including you_, _you spoiled, snotty, stuffy..._

Ingrid placed a hand in between the two verbal combatants, not entirely sure if she would be pulling it back with fingers intact. "All right, ladies back to your corners! I knew this was gonna happen, but dang, you two scared me there for a minute."

"You know what she is?" Nola asked Ingrid. "And you know what this gathering means?"

"Well, duh, Nollie, just 'cuz I'm so hot doesn't mean I'm clueless."

"Uh, I... don't know what it means..." Nestis began hesitantly, not wanting to be categorized as clueless.

"Neither do I," Jamila agreed, not caring if they thought she was clueless or not. "What is going on, Ingrid? You're not telling us something."

Will frowned as she inspected the five girls around her, sudden realization hitting her as it all made sense. _They're the ones. Them and Dee_. She had had known Ingrid and Nola since they were born, Jamila for years, and Nestis for a few weeks, but she had never guessed they would all be...

"Hungry?" Yan Lin asked and received unanimous affirmative replies and a "duh" from Cornelia. "Good. Names are on your plates, no shoving! Kids on this end, old farts in the middle, and thirty-somethings on the other." Most everyone laughed at Yan Lin's instructions except for a miffed Kadma, who certainly didn't see herself as an "old fart." Cassidy seemed confused at first but finally found her place in the OF area, something that cheered Kadma up a bit.

Ingrid yanked Dee and Nestis away from Will. "C'mon ladies, grab your seats! We need to get some food into Dee, stat! She's even skinnier than my mom's competition."

Dee was about to protest when her stomach growled for the third time this morning. Of all the parts of her going "soft" it seemed to be leading the pack. "Okay, fine, I'm a pop-sicle stick. Happy now?"

"Very!" She led to Dee to her seat which, to her slight irritation, was at one end of the table facing Cornelia at the opposite end; a very noticeable position, which Ingrid pointed out with gusto. "Hey, Mom, looks like you and Dee are the guests of honor!"

Cornelia smiled warmly at Dee, her maternal instincts bubbling over from her pregnancy and the sight of Dee's painfully skinny legs. "Looks like. Kind of a crazy bunch, isn't it?"

"No!" Dee squeaked as she sat. "I mean, no, ma'am, not at all."

Cornelia frowned, causing Dee to worry until she said, "Ugh, please don't call me that. Just 'Cornelia' will do. Or Corny, if you want. I feel old enough with this load."

"You don't look old," Dee countered, then kicked herself when she realized that was the most asinine comment she'd ever made.

"Corny," however, beamed at her like it was the best compliment she had ever received. "Oh, thank you! You're so sweet!"

Dee shrugged nervously. "Y-you're welcome." She then noticed the food on the table and all the noise and distraction faded away. She reached for her chopsticks and fork before she stopped herself; didn't they have to say a prayer or something first? Did Will have a religion, come to think of it? For some reason Dee pegged her as being Jewish. If Dee had to convert that was fine with her, but what did Jewish girls do, anyway? Dee suddenly realized she really liked pork. Pork or Will? Eh, she could do without the other white meat.

Dee was still pondering conversion when Yan Lin placed a plate in front of her loaded, she noticed, with the same types of food she had chosen the night before. She looked up at Yan in surprise, who smiled as she said, "Eat up, kiddo. You and Cornelia get first dibs since Corny's eating for three and you need your nutrition." Dee looked across the table at the other "guest of honor" who was tearing into her own plate while also talking to Elyon and Irma, Elyon dabbing a napkin at the light stains left on her chin by her cramming.

Dee looked back at Yan Lin and smiled weakly. "Uh, thanks."

Yan Lin patted the top of her head. "You're welcome, dear. Eat slow, now." She left to attend to her other guests.

"'Nutrition'?" Ingrid asked. "What does that mean? Are you sick?"

Dee froze as she realized that no one besides Will, Lair, and the Lins knew she was a street kid that happened to bump into Will last night. "I... I haven't been eating a lot lately. Kind of puny." She didn't want to think it, but she was ashamed of who and what she was. Would they still be so nice to her once they found out? Dee feared the answer even as she tore into her noodles.

Mrs. Lin had cautioned her to eat slow, but in truth she hadn't needed to bother. Whereas last night had vaccumed her food up she now tasted every nuance and spice in the Lin's cooking. She sighed as she realized she could enjoy this meal in peace without fear of... of anything.

She was so into the sensations playing across her taste buds she didn't notice the other girls staring at her. Ingrid whistled and declared, "I'll have what she's having. On second thought, I think I'll wait til I'm married, 'cuz it's a sin to enjoy food that much."

Dee snapped back to reality at the word "married." "Mahridgeh?" she mumbled with a full mouth, earning chuckles from all the other girls except for Nola, who just stared (disapprovingly, of course) at her lack of manners. Dee chewed her food and washed it down with sweet tea before speaking again. "Do you mean Hay Lin's wedding?"

Ingrid rolled her eyes and smiled. "Not really, but has she recruited you yet?"

"Uhm, I think so. Flower girl, or something. Have... have you guys been to any weddings? I haven't."

Nestis and Jamila shook their heads, but Ingrid said, "Well, Nollie and I were flower girls at my parents' wedding. We were three at the time so, yeah, that means I'm illigetimate. I'm a product of passion, yep, an homage to hormones, a bounty of booty call..."

"Oh, get a hold of yourself," Jamila chided. "You're always going for the shock value, Ingrid."

"Indeed," Nola agreed. "She always has to be the center of attention."

"Ha! Look who's talking, Princess!" To Dee, "I swear, they were seperated at birth, they have to be."

Jamila shook her head. "I think it's because we had to deal with you that we're the way we are. Somebody had to be serious." Nola nodded her agreement.

Ingrid waved this away. "Whatever. I light up your lives and you know it. But enough about me... what about Dee?"

Dee dropped the noodle she was carefully moving to her open mouth with her chop sticks, leaving her gaping at Ingrid's questions. "Uh, what about Dee? I mean, what about me?"

"What's your story? We're female, we need details! Where are you from? How'd you meet Will, that sort of thing!"

"Dee told us she lived in an orphanage," Jamila said, "And foster homes after that. Right, Dee?"

"Yeah... yeah, that's how it was."

"So, that means you must have a foster home here in Heatherfield, right?" Nestis assumed. "What are your foster parents like? Are they nice?"

"I..." Dee struggled as to what to say, but in the end she realized that she had never apologized for her life before, so why start now? "I don't have a foster home in Heatherfield. The truth is, I haven't had one in a year since I ran away from the last home I was in. I've been living on the streets and taking leftover food from restaurants to get by. I got into Heatherfield a few days ago and I was running from... something when I ran into Will. _Literally_ ran into her. She took me back to the apartment which was broken into and we came here. And she wants me to live with her. That's pretty much it." She resumed eating her food without any expectations of their reactions.

They stared at her, as surprised by her matter-of-fact explanation as by what was said. It was Ingrid that spoke first, a single word that for her made it all come together: "Ribs!" The other girls switched to staring at her, except for Dee who just kept eating.

Nola and Jamila knew the score: Ingrid would say a something seemingly unrelated to the situation at hand, then explain herself eventually. Nestis hadn't gotten the hang of Ingrid yet and asked, ""Ribs?'

"Ribs!" Ingrid cast a sympathetic look on Dee; Dee's instincts told her she was being watched and she met Ingrid's gaze, her confused and wary eyes meeting Ingrid's concerned gaze. "Your ribs are poking through that shirt. And your hair... looking like a guy..." Ingrid started to tear up. "Oh, baby..."

Before anyone could react, Ingrid reached across and threw her arms around Dee's neck. Dee was surprised but still refused to drop her clump of rice. After a moment of indecision, she patted Ingrid's back and jammed the chopsticks in her mouth before reassuring her "comforter." "Itsh okay, _gulp_, it's okay."

Ingrid pulled back and dabbed her eyes with a napkin. "Sorry, sorry... _sniff_. It's just... just give me a minute..."

"Is that true?" Nestis asked. When Dee nodded, she asked another question. "Why did you run away?"

Dee swallowed. "My last home wasn't... a good one. None of them were particularly good. I just got fed up with it and left." It sounded so simple when she said it, but just thinking about it brought back the loneliness and anger that had built up inside her. Unconsciously, she gripped the Heart of Candracar and felt something warm flowing into her that soothed her spirit and countered the darkness. Dee barely heard herself whisper, "Thank you."

Ingrid smiled and patted her hand. "Well, you don't have to worry about that with Will. She's just awesome; I mean, I love Mom but the first name I said was, well, you can probably guess."

Dee's amusement banished the last of the lingering pain. "You said Will's name first? What was your very first word?"

"Well, 'Will', actually..."

"Dang. She must have made an impression."

Ingrid actually looked slightly embarassed. "Well, I had to find some way to get my hands on the nice lady's pretty red hair, right? Helped if I called her over."

"She's lying, Dee," Jamila said. "I thought Will _was_ her mother when we first met. She was keeping Ingrid while Miss Hale was out of town and-this is the truth-she even called her "mommy" a few times."

The girls laughed while Ingrid pouted. "Hey, I was a dumb kid at the time! Geez!"

The older women had already fixed their plates and the girls began to collect food from the dishes on the table. While Dee was getting to know her new peers Will was getting grilled by her old ones about the events of the previous night. Cornelia in particular seemed to be the most upset by the news, hormones not withstanding but not helping, either. "Oh, god, I can't believe you still had the Heart after all these years! I thought you gave it back to the Oracle after... after."

"I nearly did," Will said, trying to nonchlantly fill her plate without seeming upset by the memories, ironically finding herself in the same position as her young friend at the other end of the table. "But he insisted I hold it for the next Keeper."

"Which is this Dee kid?" Cornelia asked, examing the Dee kid intently as she waved off Ingrid's rather aggressive offer of a sweet bun. "Do you think he knew... well, of course, he knew. Urgh, there's nothing more irritating than a man that knows everything." The others voiced their agreement; the dumb ones were bad enough. "Poor thing, though, living like that. I mean Dee, of course."

Will gazed at Dee with an unreadable but soft expression. "Well, she won't anymore. She's mine now and that's that. Uh, as soon as the courts clear it."

Taranee nodded. "From what I know of adoption laws, Dee is still a ward of the state she came from and should have no person as a legal... guardian." She grinned at the use of the term. "You're a good candidate, Will, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Won't they try to ship her back or something?" Hay Lin asked as she fed Thomas some rice off her thumb.

"Sadly, I doubt they'd go to the effort, especially since Will wants her. If no one did, they'd probably just make her a ward of our state and stick her back in the system. Child protection services are overloaded all over as it is."

"That actually works to my advantage, I guess," Will theorized. "And since she's a Guardian, I'm the perfect choice for a parent. It would have helped if Mom had known about my being a Guardian back then, well, if the worrying didn't kill her. Which it probably would have."

Irma squinted at the girls at the end of the table. "Yeah, I figured this was coming. Where there's one of them... us, there's more, or four actually."

Cornelia sighed and gazed proudly at her daughter. "My little girl... she always wanted to be a Guardian, she loved the stories we told her for bed-time. She's going to be so thrilled."

Irma sighed. "Yeah, _she_ will, but will the others? Nola will be onboard, the girl lives for duty, but Jami? My gut says yeah, but who knows? And that Nestis is a timid little thing. And don't even get me started on the Hand-Biter... quit looking at me like that, Will, I'm being realistic here. They're young..."

"So were we," Will countered. "And we did alright. And they have something we don't."

"Oh?"

"Us. Think about it; Kadma was on Zamballa, Halinor in Candracar, Cassidy was... you know. Yan Lin was great, but it's not like she knew how to throw a good fireball, not like you do, Taranee. Or talk to trees like you do, Cornelia. Or make waves like you, Irma..."

"Okay, I get it. We're a regular sisterhood of ya-ya's, but I still don't like the idea of it."

Hay Lin waggled her eyebrows at Irma while her son made an effort to devour Auntie Hay-Hay's hand. "You always seemed gung ho when it came to putting on the wings, remember?"

"Yeah, but I was a stupid kid on an adrenaline rush, not knowing any better. It's not like the Oracle sent our parents a permission slip to sign or anything. 'Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lair, your daughter has been chosen to fight bloodthirsty monsters and psychopathic dictators. Please Initial Here.' Do you think my parents would have signed off on that?"

Taranee frowned. "What are you saying, Irma? That we should... stop them?"

Irma looked at Nestis, who kept dropping her food off her chopsticks. "No, but I think they should have a choice. A chance to say, 'No, I don't want this.' We can wax nostalgic all we want, but the fact is some of the worst things that happened to us was because of that damn necklace."

W.I.T.C.H. was silent for a moment. An unusually somber Cornelia was the first to speak. "That's true, Irma, no one denies it. But it's also true that some of the best things that happened to us were because we were Guardians." She patted her swollen belly for emphasis. "And even the bad things we went through kept worse things from happening to our families... and everyone's families. I can look back and say it was all worth it, and you know how I felt at first."

"So can I," Taranee agreed. "I"d never be a strong a person if I hadn't gone through it all."

"Same for me, and it was kinda fun, too," Hay Lin said with a shrug. "I liked the flying."

Irma sighed, knowing her own answer would be similar. She looked at Will and their eyes met. There was a moment of hesitation as Will seemed to be thinking it over, weighing the course of her life against the gossamer wings that had once graced her shoulders. Finally she said, "It hurt sometimes, but that's everyone's life. And if the Oracle picked them, they've already said yes in their hearts. We can be there for them, but that's it. It's their fight, not ours. Not anymore."

Irma winced. "I used to love it when you talked like that, but now all I have is a big sinking feeling... and we're not even the ones in the boat."

Will laughed, startling Irma and the others with the richness of it. "Hey, I've seen Dee in action. If anything, I feel sorrier for whoever tries to take her on. She's a lot meaner than I was."

Irma straightened her sweater and smiled too-sweetly at Will. "Well, you always were a marshmallow, babe... soft and squishy." Will flicked a piece of rice at her. "Hey!" A second volley was fired. "I'm warning you!" A third shot. "Oh, it is _on_!"

* * *

The rest of the meal passed in relative peace (aside from a pitched rice fight between Will and Irma that had to be stopped by a secretly amused Yan Lin). Belts were loosened and chairs pushed back as the diners began the long and glorious process of digestion. Hay Lin passed around the three sections, Tom-Tom in tow and looking slightly sleepy, making sure everyone knew about the multi-generational shopping excursion the next day. She also mentioned it was in Dee's honor, much to Dee's discomfort; forget the whole Guardian thing, interacting with normal people was going to be trying enough.

Before everyone began to doze off Yan Lin stood and signaled for their attention. When that didn't work, she loudly tapped a spoon against the table. "Alright, ladies, look sharp. As honored as I am at your presence today, there is another reason this dinner was held."

The only people who seemed confused by this were Jamila and Nestis; the older women nodded knowingly while Nola and Ingrid looked at each other in nervous anticipation. Dee was somewhere in between, knowing just enough about the situation to drive her crazy for not knowing more.

Yan Lin smiled at her guests. "Though some may not realize it, every one of us at this table have something in common. But first, let me tell you a story of time long ago when the spirits walked the Earth and an Emperor ruled the land of my ancestors." Slowly the room darkened, even with the lights still burning and the windows open. The girls looked around for the source of the darkness even as shapes began to form in it, increasing in clarity and color until the room had transformed into a desert-like plain with scattered villages. The only things that remained were the table, chairs and people in them.

The adults seemed surprisingly calm at this transition while some of the girls were decidely less so. Nestis was clearly freaking out, grasping the arm of a relatively calmer but still freaked out Jamila. Ingrid was giddy at the display while Nola was almost inhuman in her serenity. Dee was on guard but not too worried, merely curious as to what was happening.

Yan Lin countinued, her words becoming real in the trick of light and shadow that surrounded them. "Once, a horrible drought came upon these lands and the people prayed for salvation. But the Jade Emperor did not listen, his heart indifferent to the suffering of his people." The girls saw the haughty emperor atop his thrown as he relished in his ability to save his people and his decision not to. Dee felt a familiar fury at the recognition of his type, those who have everything but were content to glorify themselves.

"But the people's cries did not go unheard by four great dragons, who boiled the sea into clouds and blew them over the parched lands. The rain fell and the people rejoiced, saved by the dragons ' gentle strength." The girls watched in awe as the powerful dragons did this without any hope of reward, merely happy to aid others. Tom-Tom jabbered excitedly as he tried to grab hold of the dragon's tails as they looped and spun around mountain ranges and condiment bottles.

"But the Emperor was furious with the dragons doing this without his permission. He imprisoned them in four mountains as punishment." The spectators despaired as the proud dragons were chained and buried.

Dee stood and slammed a fist into the table, sparking energy jumping from her arm and skipping along the silverware down the length of the table. "But that's not right!" she cried in outrage as energy flickered in her eyes like distant lightning. "That lazy emperor just sat there when he... he..." The other girls stared at her in shock.

Yan Lin smiled and raised a gentle hand that silenced Dee. "Do not worry, Diana, the story is not over." Dee blinked and realized what she was doing; embarrassed, she sat back down and ran a head through her short hair, the crackleof static electricity popping through the strands. The girls looked impressed at her righteous anger as they patted their own hair down where it had ballooned out from the static discharge; Nestis' light and wispy hair in particular made her look like a dandelion with a face.

Yan Lin continued. "But the Emperor's daughter, the nymph Xin Jing, was horrified at this injustice. _'You are as cruel as you are arrogant!' _she said to him. _'Look at those mountains, for you will not see them like that ever again!'_ With her power she destroyed the dragons' prisons and became one with them, leaving behind a single perfect crystal. The same crystal that our fierce little Dee even now wears over her heart." The girls tore their gazes from the departing Xin Jin dragon to look at the Heart of Candracar, Dee touching it somewhat tentatively with a finger. _So much for being powered by AA batteries_, she thought.

"Dee dee!" Tom-Tom said, reaching for the Heart with intent to chew.

"The Heart was created to prevent wrong-doing, but by itself it can do little. For this purpose, Guardians are chosen, one for each of the five elements." The ancient land vanished to be replaced by a large structure that was part-cathedral, part fortress and such a pure-white it almost hurt the eyes. Throughout the halls young women in green and purple outfits stood or hovered with the delicate wings on their backs. Dee and the girls shifted in their seats as they took it all in.

"Who are they?" Nestis asked fearfully, squeezing Jamila's arm even tighter.

"Guardians," Ingrid said in a reverent tone her closest friends had never heard her use before. "Hundreds of 'em. Where's m..." Her eyes locked onto the place behind her mother where a younger and uniformed Cornelia stood behind her older self, smiling at Ingrid and waving. Cornelia turned her head and raised her eyebrows at the apparition, but didn't seem overly concerned otherwise. The Guardian Cornelia hugged her older self from behind and trailed her fingers along her round belly, gazing at the unborn children like she had at Ingrid.

The girls quickly realized that each of the women at table had a young woman that looked about twenty years old standing behind them. It soon became apparent that these _were _the women at some point in their lives. Yan Lin confirmed this. "Each of us were Guardians before just as you are the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions now. You have been chosen to do great things, to protect the worlds from danger with the powers of the Heart of Candracar."

The women had various reactions to their younger forms that ranged from slightly jealous to largely indifferent. Dee was amused when Hay Lin waved at herself who in turn waved back; Tom-Tom wore a quizzical expression at the revelation there could possibly be more than one "Auntie Hay Hay." And then he tried to bite Guardian Hay Lin's wings; the kid had priorities, after all. Guardian Hay Lin stepped away and waved an index finger in admonishment at him, cowing the rambunctious toddler for a brief second.

The girls themselves were speechless, even the three who knew what they were already. Dee was staring at the younger Will that sat behind her new mom when the previous Keeper took flight amd zoomed over the table to hover in front of Dee; Nestis yelped and backed away from the table, only to freeze when she found herself surrounded by Guardians who silently greeted her like long-lost kin. They paid particularly attention to her hair, running their barely-solid fingers through it and pointing out the patterns with great enthusiasm. Nestis smiled nervously and tried not to make eye contact.

Dee nearly tipped her chair over in surprise as Guardian Will touched her nose lightly to the girl's in an eskimo kiss, causing the apparation(?) to laugh in amusement and Dee to reciprocate with a glare. Guardian Will stifled a giggle and held out her hand in invitation. Dee hesitated, then slowly placed her hand in Will's.

Every one of the Guardians and the white halls they inhabited vanished in an instant. Dee started when Guardian Will melted into a figure running in the rain, a very familiar floppy jacket her most distinctive feature

Yan Lin smiled and placed her hands in her sleeves. "It would appear that Dee has stolen the show."

Dee panicked. "I didn't mean to! I..."

"Shhh, hush, child, it is alright. Let your new family see who you are."

As the gathered Guardians watched the events of the previous night unfolded around them. Dee's rough encounter with Will, the flight to the apartment and the kidnapping by the Beast appeared before them. When Will was scooped out of her apartment Dee saw herself follow by hopping over the balcony's rail to the fire-escape and running downwards so fast she seemed to be flying.

Dee realized she _had_ been flying, or something like it. As fast as Dee was, there was no she should have been able to catch up the Spider Ho and she now knew how she'd accomplished the feat. As Dee's feet lightly touched the fire escape strings of pink electricity traveled from her soles to the metal. While not quite superspeed, Dee's powers had clearly enhanced her dexterity tenfold.

When she reached the bottom she leapt onto an awning that barely held her weight before sliding down one of the poles underneath it. As soon as her feet hit the ground she took off running in the direction of the spider monster without hesitation, sparks leaping from her feet as she broke records in the hundred-meter dash and several other Olympic events.

"Nice vaulting," Ingrid whispered to Dee. "We're gonna have a blast in Meridian."

_Where?_ Dee thought.

With her third-person view of the events Dee now realized the Heart had been leading her to Will after all, tracking the spider's movements like a dowsing rod to the construction site. Will's friends gasped and scowled at the sight of her being threatened by the Spider Ho and their reactions displayed their outrage.

Irma gripped her fork tightly as the drinks at the table bgan to ripple violently; across from her Taranee's eyes flared like the flames of hell. Elyon's wild locks of hair rippled slightly as the power of an entire world ran through her veins, eager to give Will's tormentor the "royal treatment." Will hadn't been kidding when she told the Spider Ho she had powerful (and vengeful) friends.

They watched Dee tried to bargain with the Beast and its refusal that culminated into Dee's transformation. It was the girls who gasped this time as Dee became a Guardian in front of their eyes, Ingid shouting "right-on!" When Dee fired an energy bolt into the Beast's chest they cheered, even the pale and sickly-looking Nestis and a flustered Nola who didn't usually react as such. When the Beast charged and fell into the Fold they gave a sigh of relief and then laughed as Dee's victory shout visibly startled Will.

The trip to the _Silver Dragon_ was documented next, complete with the undignified dive into the dumpster. Hay Lin was introduced, Will stripped of her dirty clothes again but this time with a laughtrack and Dee winced when she saw the look on her face as she drooled over the leftovers.

The fight with Irma got even more reaction than the fight with the Spider, particularly when Dee chomped her hand. Groans of disbelief and barely concealed chuckles wafted around the table; Irma glared daggers at Dee while the Hand Biter tried to look apologetic but only succeeded in looking smug.

Dee's second transformation and Yan Lin's interference passed quickly as did the kitchen clean-up (the showering was thankfully skipped), but there was a series of short transistions where Dee awoke during the night, the last being when Will wrapped her arms around her. Cassidy, Hay Lin, and an unusually sentimental Cornelia "aah"ed loudly at the scene.

The look on Dee's face when she saw Will's signature was one Dee herself had never seen before, a small and contented smile that was far-removed from the full-on smirk she usually wore. The other look on her face when she saw Hay Lin's outfit was the last laugh of the session but not the final image; that honor went to the sight of Will and Dee embracing just moments before Ingrid and the other girls arrived. There was another set of "aah"s at this that were even more pronounced than the previous ones; while not embarassed per se, Dee was a little torqued her tough-girl image was gone before she had even gotten to know these people.

When Will and Dee faded away like the happy ending to a fairy tale the light returned. Yan Lin smiled at the new Guardians. "I can imagine you have many questions. I..." Nestis stood shakily. "Yes, dear? Are you alright? You look..." Nestis' mouth opened, then slammed shut as her cheeks puffed up. She clasped her hands over her mouth and stumbled out of the room. ."..like you're going to puke."

Ingrid, Jamila, and Nola pushed their chairs away and hurried after her. Dee sat staring at the older women until she realized she should probably follow after them. "I'm just gonna.. with them... right." She got up and pursued the other Guardians.

The former Guardians looked at each other in surprise and embarrassed amusement. Kadma glanced at Yan Lin disparagingly. "I told you that the lightshow should've preceded the dinner."

Yan Lin waved a hand dismissively. "Yap, yap, yap! Hindsight is twenty-twenty, I say! Hmph, woman runs her own planet for a few decades makes her all... anyway. Dessert, anyone?" The sounds of Nestis retching drifted down the hall, complete with splashing sounds. "Uhm... we'll hold off on dessert. Gin, maybe? The card game, not the drink."

* * *

"_Hurrrrrrrrggaahhhhh_!"

"Don't fight it, Ness, just let it out," Ingrid urged as she held her friend's hair up in an impromptu ponytail. "Just let it out, just... oh, crap, that's half a fortune cookie; girl, you need to chew more."

"_Hurrrrgahha-ha-ha-hhaa_! _Gack_!" Nestis slumped against the toilet as she expunged the last of her dinner. "Ohhhhh... and it was so good, too. Oh..." She stood with Ingrid's help. "Thanks... I'm... I'm sorry... I just..."

"Hey, it's okay," Ingrid cooed softly as she dried her friend's eyes; Dee was surprised at the maternal streak in the usually wild young woman. "That's a lot to take in at once. Probably shouldn't have had dinner first, huh?"

Nestis smiled weakly. "I guess... you're so strong, Ingrid, you don't even seem surprised that it's all real..."

Ingrid gave a pained smiled. "Well, I sorta already knew." Nestis and Jamila just stared at her. "Uh, let's go into Hay Lin's room, eh? Looks like I've got some _serious_ 'splaining to do."

Nestis quickly washed out her mouth with Listerine and the new Guardians crossed the hall to Hay Lin's bedroom. Ingrid insisted that Nestis take the bed and made sure she was propped up and comfortable. Nola wrinkled her nose at where Dee's old clothes lay. Jamila sat at Hay Lin's old computer, staring into the black screen like it could offer answers. Dee herself stood in the middle of the room feeling as lost she probably looked.

When Nestis was situated Ingrid turned to Jamila. "I know that this a real shock for you two, and if you have any questions just ask them."

Jamila swiveled her chair around and raised a slender eyebrow; Dee noticed that her dark eyes were actually a faint violet because they were widened in disbelief. "'Shock'? That's not even close. And I have so many questions I don't know where to start. Oh, wait, yes I do: how do you know about this... 'Guardian' thing? I'm guessing since your mother was one that explains itself, but you never mentioned it to me." There was a little hurt in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Jami, I really am. I... look, ever since I was a baby I've heard stories of W.I.T.C.H..."

"Witch? We're witches?"

"No, it's their names. Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin; W.I.T.C.H.! It was their team name when they were Guardians. Hey, we need one now that I think about it... lessee, I., N., J., D., another N..."

Nola took over for her. "We have all been given a great honor in our being chosen as Guardians. That is all we need to know."

Dee snorted. "The hel...heck it is! Look, if I get to stay with Will I'll do the 'Fighting Fairy' routine, but we need more info. As soon as Nestis is feeling better, we should march back in there and get answers."

Ingrid smiled at the snap decision. "Whoa-momma, I can tell why you're the boss, Dee."

"I'm the who? What are you talking about?"

Ingrid rose and rolled her head around to pop her neck. "Well, we should probably cover that first. The Heart of Candracar around Dee's neck is given to the Keeper of the Heart, also known as the Guardian of Quintessence; means 'life energy' or something. That Guardian is the leader of the others, the head honcho that calls the shots. That means you're the commander, Di." Ingrid stood straight and saluted, that ever-present mischeivious glint in her eye shining brighter.

Dee's eyes widened and she looked down at the Heart. "What? But... but I've never lead anything!"

Ingrid shrugged. "Well, neither did Will, but she did a great job. And, no offense, she probably couldn't bark orders like you can, _sir_."

"What job?" Jamila asked impatiently. "What is it a Guardian does?"

"Uh, guard?"

"Ingrid..."

"Okay, okay! Geez. I guess the best way to describe it is that we're the SWAT team for the forces of Good. Guardians, us, fight against evil that is so powerful it threatens entire worlds."

"Worlds?" Nestis squeaked.

"Other dimensions, like on television. For example, there's this world called Meridian that W.I.T.C.H. freed, like, several times from this guy called Prince Phobos (who was no 'prince' if you get my meaning)."

Nola nodded. "My world will be forever grateful to them for that."

Jamila frowned at her. "_Your_ world?"

Nestis' eyes widened. "You're an _alien_, Nola!"

Ingrid laughed. "Technically, yes, but she's as human as us. Though to be fair, I've met some pretty nice non-humans as well. In fact, my god-father 'Al' has green skin and pointy ears!" Jamila just stared at him. "What? Why do you think I never showed you any pictures of him? Couldn't just put a toupee on him..."

Nola shook her head in amusement. "Perhaps you should explain your family, Ingrid. Your father in particular..."

"Oh, yeah. Well, Ness and Dee haven't met Mr. Hale yet, but that's cool. You see, Dad met Mom right after she became a Guardian and I mean _right_ after. And what a courtship it was, but that's another story. You see, Dad was a rebel in the literal sense because he was fighting against Phobos at the time to free his world... which was Meridian."

Jamila blinked. "Ah. I see."

"Not turned off, are you, Jami?" Ingrid's smile wavered.

"No, I... I meant to say that even with all I've learned I'm still your friend, no matter where your family came from. And I'm over your father. Really."

Ingrid smiled in relief, but couldn't help herself. "Suuurrreee you are... Nestis? Baby, are you going to throw up again?" She grabbed a waste basket just in case.

"No, no, I'm fine. It's true isn't it? Guardians, Candracar... all of it?"

"I know, it must be beyond wierd..."

"No, no, you don't understand." Nestis lay back and stared up at the Mona Lisa poster. "It's not wierd at all. All the stories, all the legends my father told me... they're all true."

The other Guardians had already lost track of the times they had been surprised today. "Wha-huh? Your dad told you about Candracar?"

Nestis rose sharply and stared at Ingrid hard, a light in her eyes that Ingrid had never seen before. "That story... what Mrs. Lin did with the shadows... I must have heard that story a thousand times from _adoda_. Xin Jing, the Emperor, the Dragons... they were as much a part of my childhood as Mickey Mouse was for yours. And the Guaridians... oh, I loved the Guardians! I wanted to _be_ a Guardian." She laughed deliriously. "I even had a Halloween costume my mother made from the pictures he drew."

"You're kidding me!" Ingrid said in amazement. "So did I! It looked just like Mom's did! But how did your father know about them? It's, well, it seems more like a Chinese story."

Nestis smiled as thoughts of her father filled her mind. There was pain, yes, but also love. "My father was a professor of anthropology who studied myths and folk-tales, remember? He knew all the old stories of his tribe and others from all over the world; I didn't think it was strange that he told me a Chinese fable. It just happened to be my favorite."

Ingrid reached down and clasped Nestis' hands. "And we're Guardians now, just like the stories! Oh, Ness, we'll be the best ever!" Ness smiled back in bewildered pride.

As the two Guardian fans celebrated, Nola turned to Dee with a surprisingly non-disapproving look; it was simply a curious one. "Does staying with Guardian Vandom mean that much to you? You don't seem terribly excited about being a Guardian."

Dee opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she realized it was true. The prissy girl irked her fiercely, but if they had to work together it would be best not to provoke her. Unless she needed provoking. "Well, about the Guardian business I don't know which end is which, but when it comes to Will..." She stopped, unsure as to how to continue.

"Dee has never had a family, Nola," Jamila said. "Never even had a mother like you. I can't even imagine what that would be like, for at least I had my grandmother my whole life. And we saw how she defended her from that... that monster; there's no doubt in my mind she loves Will already. I am so happy for you, Dee. You could not have asked for a better parent than Miss Vandom."

Dee shuffled her feet and shrugged. "Well, yeah, I know that."

"She's blushing," Ingrid pointed out mirthfully.

Dee growled at her. "Shut up! This outfit is cutting off my circulation, that's all!" The other girls laughed at her smokescreen, even Nola, which caused Dee to look at Three B in surprise.

"Hey, Dee," Ingrid said as she plopped down next to Nestis, "I know you think Nestis is this preppy girl with an attitude, but you're way off." Dee looked at Ingrid expectantly. "She's a real softie underneath all that _grrrl_ power and you two have so much in common..."

Both Dee and Nola scoffed silmultaneously in a surprisingly similar manner. "Surely you're joking again, Ingrid," Nola said, shooting a disgusted look at Dee's hair, like it was a statement of vagrancy or something.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed, Your Ladyness. Besides the 'tudes, you're both adopted after all..."

"Ingrid!" Nola's voice was horrified and-this caught Dee completely by surprise-ashamed. "That... that is a horrible thing to say!" Nestis looked like this was news to her as well, though Jamila gave a Nola a sympathetic glance as if she knew this was a sensitive subject.

Surprisingly, Ingrid waved her friend's distress away. "You need to get over that, Nollie." To the others, "I know I can't speak for myself, but I think that adopting a kid is the best way to get one. It's sort of pure, I guess, and not just an obligation or anything. Don't you agree, Nola?"

"Well, yes... I... er... damnation, Ingrid, you know it's not that simple!"

Once again, Ingrid dismissed Nola's concerns. "Only for you, Nollie. They'd figure it out eventually and you _really_ need to get over it. We both know Aunt Elly thinks you're the bee's knees or whatever they called it back in Mom's time." Nola didn't look like she believed her pretentious friend's platitudes; Dee wondered why she would be so ashamed of something like that.

There was a knock at the door. "Is everyone alright?" Hay Lin asked. Tom-Tom gurgled a question of his own that probably translated to "Who needs bitin'?"

Dee opened the door and smiled at the adorably worried look on Hay Lin's face. "We're fine. Nestis is feeling better and real excited now." Tom-Tom began reaching for the Heart of Candracar, saying, "Dee Dee!" like it was going out of style; Dee was careful to keep the talisman out of his reach.

"Oh, really? That's great! Um, if you guys are ready, we sorta need you back in the dining room." Hay Lin giggled conspiratorially. "_Official _Guardian business, you know?"

"We'll be there," Ingrid said. She turned to Dee. "As soon as Boss Lady gives us the okay."

Dee grimaced at the title before sighing in resignation. "I'm ready when you guys are. And for the record, I never asked to be the 'Keeper'."

"Wow," Hay Lin said, "Deja vu! That's just what Will said years ago... oops, eavesdropping! Gotta run!" The sound of light footsteps sounded down the hall as she hurried out of view.

Ingrid stretched and looked at the other girls. "Ready to face Destiny, ladies?" The other girls nodded reluctantly. "Oh, and by the way," she said off-handedly. "Nollie here is the Princess of Meridian... FYI."

Nola smiled in embarassment and shrugged. "Shock value; this girl will never change, will she?" D., J. and Ness looked at her with varying degrees of surprise, Jamila the most expressive since she had know Nola for as long as she'd been friends with Ingrid.

"You're a real princess?" Nestis asked in awe.

"Well, I am... I am part of the royal household of Meridian, but... I am not of the royal line." More of the shame crept into her voice and conjured surprising feelings of sympathy in Dee's hardened heart. Whereas Ingrid made light of her illegitimacy, Nola seemed genuinely upset at being adopted. For the life of her, Dee couldn't see what the big deal was, but then again it was probably a royal thing. "My mother, Queen Elyon, found me in a stream when I was but a few days old, perhaps even hours. Though I don't have the magic of the royal line, I have had affinity with the element of water for as long as I can remember." She said the last defensively, as if saying, "I may not be _that_, but I do have _this._"

"You have to be our Water Guardian, Nollie!" Ingrid said with delight. "Just like..."

"Lair?" Dee supplied. Ingrid looked at her with a curious expression. "She mentioned it when we were, ah, cleaning up the kitchen last night."

Ingrid grinned like a wolf would grin if it could; it seemed to be her default facial expression. "I still can't believe you actually fought Aunt Irma! Facing a giant spider woman, taking on 'Irradicator' Tubbs, _and _eating Will's lasagna? All in one night? Your ovaries must be the size of footballs because you, my friend, have seriously huge _cojones_." Jamila and Nola nodded in agreement, having known Officer Lair for years and partaken of Will's lasagna, an act which took serious guts, or perhaps lack of them, to see through to the end.

Dee shrugged. "Ah, it wasn't that bad. The lasagna, I mean." Ingrid looked at her waist and mouthed "ribs.""Besides, I was just as scared as Wi-whoa, what is that?"

A rank smell began to permeate the room; Dee, who had considerable, possibly psyche-scarring encounters with extremely smelly things, thought it ranked in the top three spots for that category.

The other girls began to notice it, too; Nestis's nose in particular was twitching like the nose of a rabbit. Suddenly, a flash of recognition appeared on the faces of Ingrid and Nola as they looked at each other and said, "It's Sir..." "Unka..."

A small monkey-sized figure hopped through Hay Lin's open window, lugging a bag nearly as big as it was. To Dee it looked like Yoda's younger and trashier cousin with its green skin and pointed ears. He wore a gray child-sized hooded with the initials "S.I." on the chest pocket shaped like a pumpkin with pens and what looked like fithy toothbrushes protruding from it. Lower wear consisted of a faded pair of bright red swimming trunks with seagulls and palm trees set against a tropical sunset. His shoes were worn sandals that looked suspiciously like women's beach thongs.

_Stink Monkey_, Dee thought knowledgeably as the imp grinned at her and said, (much, much, _much_ to Dee's chagrin) "Hello Boy-In-Skirt!"

Because she had overheard Irma and Taranee's conversation Dee quickly deduced that this creature was a friendly, if stinky, creature. Jamila and Nestis, however, did not have this leap of reasoning and reacted as naturally as could be expected. Nestis yelped and jumped into Ingrid's arms, the taller girl surprised as she suddenly found herself carrying her friend bridal-style. Jamila backed away from the creature and held her hands up as if to ward it off. When her hands exploded into flames the only person that didn't notice was Jamila herself, who was focused entirely on Sir Blunk, hero of Meridian and official "Goods Procurer" for the Guardians of Candracar.

Blunk looked up at Jamila's fiery hands and smiled widely, his yellow teeth still reflecting the light from the flames. "Ooooh, new Guardians! You Caleb's Daughter friend, Hood Girl! Blunk at your service!" The Passling bowed respectfully, only to tip forward from the weight of his load and face-planted on the wooden floor with a grunt. Dee giggled at the sight while Nola rolled her eyes.

"It's okay, Jami, it's okay!" Ingrid said as she adjusted Nestis in her grip. "That's a friend of mine, he's practically family! He's Unka Blunk!"

Jamila relaxed visibly... and then noticed she was on fire. With an uncharacteristic squawk she began to beat her hands against her skirt, too panicked to notice that the fire was neither burning her nor her clothes. Nola displayed the decisiveness of royalty and lifted her hand toward Jamila; a short burst of water appeared from her finger tips and splashed on the newly lit Fire Guardian's flames, dousing them.

Jamila stood there in her soaked clothes and looked Nola square in the eye. "Thank you." Dee was amazed she could be so calm, but this seemed to be her normal state of being. If Dee had been on fire, well, stuff would have been broken in her panic.

Before Nola could reply their attention was diverted to Nestis' brief intakes of breath that was the unmistakabe sign of an incoming enormous sneeze. They weren't disappointed. "Aaaaahhhh... chooooooooooooo!"

Ingrid was thrown back against the bed, Nestis still in her arms. Dee and Jamila were slammed against the wall on both sides of the door, dazed by the impact. Nola's hair was blown up in the air and landed over her face and eyes, the golden strands parted by her nose and making her look fairly ridiculous. Blunk's bag was blasted out the window as the Passling dove for cover under the bed.

All was still. Jamila and Dee pulled themselves up with groans and popping joints. Nola swept her hair off her face and tried to force it back into place. Ingrid blinked her eyes rapidly as she tried to regain the moisture blown out by being ground zero for Hurricane Nestis. Nestis herself looked catatonic, the disbelief that she could have done what she did written on her features.

"Well," Dee began, "That was..."

Only the first. Nestis began to make the warning signs of another gale-force sneeze and the Guardians took immediate action. Dee and Jamila hunkered down next to the door and wrapped their arms around each other to better hide their faces from flying debris. Ingrid closed her eyes and gripped Nestis even tighter. Nola threw herself on the floor and still looked incredibly graceful as she did it. "Ahhh... ahhh... ahhhhhhhhh..." A pause. The girls looked up; big mistake. "AHHHHH-CHOOOOOO!"

Nola was pushed back along the floor until she slammed into Dee and Jamila, her hair covering them like a blanket. Ingrid grunted as she was pushed bodily into the bed until the springs creaked; somewhere below her Blunk yelped.

When the second assault was over Dee and Jamila peeked through the strands of Nola's hair to look at Nestis, who was sitting on Ingird's lap while she lay half on the bed, exhausted from being Nestis' crash couch. "Whoa..."

"I think..." Ingrid said as Mona Lisa smirked at her from the ceiling, "We know who the Guardian of Air is."

And Nestis, bless her soul, actually asked, "Who? Eeeeeekkk!" Blunk's head had popped out next to her leg and frightened the girl again; she scrambled against the headboard and stared warily at the Passling, who turned his head and tried to smile reassuringly at the newly christened Air Guardian. Nestis just whimpered in reply to the gesture.

Ingrid immediately tried to assure her. "It's okay, Ness he's urrrkkk!" Her back popped in several places as she rose off the bed; Ingrid worried that she might actually have to see a chiropractor at her age. "Oof... Blunk, the green guy is a friend. _Friend_. I've known him since I was a baby. He's one of my godparents, actually."

Honorary, anyway. Cornelia's hadn't let Blunk touch her daughter until she was five years old; not out of fear he would hurt her, of course, but the Passling was a breeding ground for diseases. Most of his people were, to be honest. "He's my Unka Blunka!" To Nestis's horror, Ingrid scooped the creature up and put it on the bed next to her.

Blunk put on his most charming manner. "Blunk happy to meet Feather-Head Girl! Blunk always happy to meet Guardians! Blunk help Guardians many times, help Feather-Head Girl now?"

Nestis swallowed. "Uh, okay?" Blunk beamed and smiled at her again, nearly causing Nestis to jump off the bed. She was prevented from doing so by tact and another sneeze that seemed to be coming faster than the others. 'Oh... oh, no..." Thinking quickly, Nestis buried her head in the covers of Hay Lin's bed. The muffled sneeze sounded like an underground explosion as the mattress collapsed and all three occupants fell with it.

Ingrid winced at the ruined bed. "Oh, man, we wasted Hay Lin's sleeping arrangements. For the record, I blame you, Unka Blunk."

"Hey!" Blunk crossed his arms and glared at his "niece." "Blunk not make Feather-Head Girl sneezy!"

"Actually, I think you did," Dee said as she replayed the previous moments. "Sorry, uh, sir, but I think your..." Crap, how to say this the right way. ."..cologne..." Oh, yeah, she could lie. Good to remember. ."..is aggravating her sinuses. Does she have allergies?" It would probably be enough that her nose worked around this creature; at least he seemed friendly.

Ingrid and Jamila shook their heads. "Not that we know of," Ingrid said, casting a glance at Nestis' still buried head. "Did you hear that, Ness? Any allergies?" The Air Guardian shook herself in a negative response. "Okay. What makes you think it's Blunk?"

"The closer he gets to her, the faster sneezes seem to come. Maybe he should leave, or we take Nestis back to the dining room."

Ingrid nodded. "Right, good idea. Nessie? Poor babe, what a day... we're going to get you out of here; suck up some air, _carefully_..." She might suffocate them all by accident. ."..and let me guide you. Ready?" The covers made a bobbing motion. "Good. On three... one... two... threeeee!"

Nestis leapt up and was quickly escorted out of the bedroom by Ingrid. "See you guys in a minute!" They were halfway down the hall when Nestis gave a barely audible baby of a sneeze; both girls were blown back past the doorway until they were out of sight, then ran past again as they regained their footing. "That was kinda fun! You're like T.N.T! Get it? It's your initials and..." And they were gone.

Blunk scratched his head. "Feather-Head Girl allergic to Blunk? That make Blunk sad..."

"It is alright, Sir Blunk," Nola assured him, patting the creature on the back of his hoodie. "It was not your intention to make Nestis ill. I'm sure she harbors no resentment." Blunk seemed cheered at the princess' words; Dee herself was relieved Nola wasn't as heartless as she seemed to be. "Introductions are in order, I suppose. Sir Blunk, these are the other new Guardians of Candracar; Jamila, Guardian of Fire, and Diana, Keeper of the Heart. Ladies, this is Sir Blunk, a war hero from the time of Phobos." Though the introductions were made with a pleasant courtly voice, Nola spit out the name _Phobos_, Dee noted. For someone who was in her family, Nola really didn't like the guy.

The girls said their greetings to the Passling who responded in kind. Blunk squinted at Dee for a second before waddled over and sniffing her bare legs. He looked up at her and smiled. "Blunk know you!"

"Uh, really? I don't remember you..." And this was a face you'd remember.

Blunk shrugged at the lack of recognition. "Well... was dark then and Blunk only remember Boy-Girl's smell." He chuckled, a maniacal sounding laugh that made Dee's neck hair stand on end. "Boy-Girl scare Blunk! No one except Blunk dig in dumpsters for snackies, Blunk no know what Boy-Girl was! Remember Blunk now?" he asked hopefully.

Diana swallowed, her throat and mouth suddenly layered with sawdust. The other Guardians were looking at her with mixed expressions of disgust and pity; Dee refused to meet their gazes. "Yeah, yeah, I remember you now. Thought you were a raccoon or something." She smiled weakly. "Scared me, too."

"Blunk sorry about that..." The Passling brightened. "Blunk never meet many humans who act like Passlings! We go look for treasures together some time, maybe? Blunk know all the good places in Heatherfield; landfills, sewers, Boy-Girl name it!"

From beneath the shame there came rage. Who it was directed at she couldn't say; the Passling, herself, or the whole world all likely candidates. She turned toward the open door to hide it, but she knew she was shaking visibly as the last year poured over her like... like filthy garbage. _Garbage with garbage_... "I... I don't do that anymore. I don't have to..." _never again, never again, never again, oh god... _The lights flickered in every building within a three-block radius. "I'm sorr_y._"

"Er... okay, Blunk understand." The Passling looked very uncomfortable; he realized he had said something wrong but wasn't entirely sure what it was. "Blunk need... to go. Busy, busy! Nice meeting Hood Girl at last, nice meeting... Diana." Blunk hopped up on the window and looked back as if to say something but only gave an awkward wave before leaping away from the building.

Dee stood still a second, than began to walk towards the door.

"Diana..." Nola began softly.

"It's _Dee_, just _Dee_!" Dee interrupted, the rage manifesting as an angry reddish-pink aura around her that hissed like an electrical snake. "And, yeah, he was right, I'm a bum! I dug in garbage cans and dumpsters to survive, I admit it! I'd do it all over again, too, because it beat the... I don't care what you think, I don't care what anyone thinks! So just leave me alone!"

Jamila reached out to her. "Dee, we're not judging you, we..." Dee pulled away. "We want to help. You're not alone anymore."

The aura of self-disgust faded. ."..you can't change the past, Jami. I don't think even Guardians can do that." Her eyes squeezed shut to block the tears; maybe in front of Will and the Lins, but not now, not with them. Kids could be the cruelest people on the planet if you gave them the chance, so you _don't_ give them the chance. Self-control reasserted as she focused on a goal. "Let's go check on Nestis." She left, leaving them behind with only questions and unaccepted sympathy.

Nola frowned as she remembered the scrumptious breakfast she had been served this morning; while Dee was living on table scraps she had been dismayed to find her hoogong eggs had not been prepared as she had asked. It was... it was unacceptable. Outrageous. No one went hungry in Meridian, not with Queen Elyon on the throne or with Nola herself overseeing the many functions of the kingdom she was delegated. _If I had been there_... "That poor girl..." she murmured aloud.

Jamila was as grim-faced as the princess. "She won't accept pity, Nola... er, your Highness."

Nola shook her head. "No titles, please. We have been friends for many years and are Guardians, we are equals."

Jamila smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Nollie. But like I said, we may feel bad for her, but we can't show it. She needs respect now; I can guess that she's had little of it in her life."

"You are correct, of course. Your wisdom always humbles me, Jamila. You have the dignity and poise befitting nobility." Nola smiled wryly. "Would that I shared those qualities, I would feel more the princess I should be." Jamila blushed, her light cheeks turning a pleasant shade of light brown. "It's true. I... I know though it sounds cold, I don't know why someone with Dee's... problems would be given the Heart. It pains me to say it, but she does not seem... stable."

Jamila looked thoughtful. "I know I don't know much about our situation as Guardians, but... my grandmother said that our flaws are like the cuts made to a diamond to make a jewel. Have you ever seen an uncut diamond?"

Nola nodded. "Yes, Sir Caleb once took me to a diamond mine in the south of my kingdom." She winced when she realized what that sounded like. "I mean, the south of my homeworld. They were beautiful, but rather... blocky. Are you saying Diana is like that?"

"Maybe. Or maybe she's already the jewel and her pain will make her a great Guardian. But, that's just my take."

Nola placed an arm around her friend's shoulder. "My friend, your 'take' is as beautiful as it is insightful."

Jami blushed again. "Now you're just embarrassing me. C'mon, I want to grab some fortune cookies before Ingrid gets the last of them." The Fire Guardian gave a disgusted sigh. "How is is she eats so much and stays so thin? It drives me insane."

Nola remembered all the activities Ingrid participated in when on Meridian: larvek rodeos, cage matches with dangerous beasts and scaling the castle walls in tribute of her father's many war-time excursions into the palace. And that was just last week. "She... stays fairly active. _Very _fairly."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hay Lin with Irma's son is based on the way my grandmother is with her grandchildren, me included. Incredibly, she's even kookier than many cartoon characters, even Hay Lin in this chapter! This one's for you, Nanny. (Coincidentally, her name is Billie, one of the shortened names for Wilhelmina).

Nestis' pet name for her dad is based off the Cherokee word for father: _adadoba_.

Here's a couple more behind-the-names for ya.

"Wilhelmina" is the feminine form of William and can be translated as resolute protector/Guardian. That's our Will!

"Irma" has several meanings in several languages, but an approriate one is the Germanic "irmen" which means whole and universal. For a Water Guardian that makes sense, doesn't it?

"Taranee" is harder to locate, but Tara has roots in Gaelic as "elevated place" and in Sanskrit as "star" and as an astral goddess. Taranee certainly has the temper of a sun goddess at times and occasionally gets all high and mighty.

"Cornelia" is the female of Cornelius and means "horn-colored", perhaps referring to a yellow harvest horn like you see in Thanksgiving stationary.

I haven't found a "Hay" yet, but Lin means "forest" or "fine jade."

"Caleb" means "beloved" and ... "_dog_" in Hebrew, according to different sources. The Biblical Caleb and Joshua were the only ones put of the Egyptian exodus who lived to see the Promised Land, much like Caleb saw the end of Phobos' reign.

"Susan" is an interesting one. Derived from Susannah, which means "lily" in ancient Hebrew, it has two Biblical references: one is a woman who ministered to Christ (WillChrist figure?) and another who cleared of adultery by Daniel, much like Susan was accused of cheating on Tony Vandom in the comics.

"Blunk.".. nuttin'. Just Blunk.


	5. Getting To Business

Disclaimer: All non-copyrighted characters in this work are my own creations. The copyrighted ones are not, of course, because they're copyrighted. Duh.

Author's Note: I was reading the _Ultimate Unauthorized Eragon Guide_ at work when I saw an entry on Wiccan practices. Turn's out "Diana" was a better pick than I thought, because the Roman Goddess is the patron goddess of modern witchcraft. Score!

In the _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ episode "Return to Omashu", there is a mischeivious baby named Tom Tom. I'd forgotten that when I wrote the DJINN character. Of course, Irma's son is named for his maternal grandfather, Thomas Lair; it was likely Hay Lin that thought up his nickname.

I made a boo-boo in Chapter One when I was describing Dee's uniform: her stockings aren't green-and-purple, but were meant to be the dark and lime green stripes that are Guardian standard. I have corrected it and that's important because this chapter introduces the other girls' Guardian forms. Yes, you read that right!

The chapter has taken a while for several reasons (mainly because of the costumes) but I do have Six nearly finished so that's something, right? Shouldn't take too long to have that up, too.

* * *

Chapter Five: Getting to Business

Nola and Jamila re-entered the dining room to find Nestis being besieged by questions about her episode; she responded that she was well, yes, just a case of nerves and oh, yeah, she was extremely excited to be a Guardian. Halinor helpfully informed the girl that she, too, threw up upon learning she was a Guardian and Nestis laughed at that. Ingrid was informing a surprisingly amused Hay Lin that her bed was broken by Nestis' Blunk-induced sneezes and Dee was being doted on by Will, who had noticed signs of distress but was unsuccessful in prying out what had happened.

Jamila began drying herself off with a towel while Nola assured her mother all was well. Irma sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. "Oh, I recognize that smell."

"Unka Blunk paid us a visit," Ingrid confirmed. "Poor Nessie's allergic to him or something."

Hay Lin patted Nestis's shoulder sympathetically. "Aw, I know how you feel, kid. The sneezes are the worst, but if you try you can control them a little. Just when you're about to sneeze, say to yourself, 'little sneeze!' It works! But if it doesn't, you can just smear Vaseline on your upper lip whenever Blunk's around."

When the girls were seated again (Dee at the head of the table once more despite her best efforts to steal Nola's seat and thanks to the machinations of the irrepressible Ingrid), Yan Lin continued their orientation from where they left off. "As I was saying, you must have many questions. Thankfully we have the time to answer them, unlike your immediate predecessors did." She gestured to W.I.T.C.H. "Now who would like to go first?"

None of the girls ventured a query and after a few tense seconds they all looked at Dee. Their four faces were the scariest damn sight Dee had ever seen, surpassing even the horrifically beautiful Spider Ho. Dee fidgeted briefly before clearing her throat and asked, "I guess... what we all really want to know is... what do we do? As Guardians? Is there a specific thing, uh, a job that needs doing?"

Yan Lin nodded her approval. "A good question, very to the point. I can guess that Ingrid told you a little of what W.I.T.C.H. did in their day? She still loves to hear my stories." Ingrid looked bashful at this, another setting on the girl's seemingly endless emotional range. Dee herself had four positions on her's: Angry, Tired, Scared and the newest one, Will.

Dee nodded. "Um, yeah, she did. About Meridian and that Prince Phobos guy..." Everyone at the table made a face at the name; who was this guy, Hitler the Second? "And Will told me after the Spider attacked that we handle things like her."

Yan Lin nodded and poked a finger in the air, a movement which began another illusion like the one before. A three-dimensional globe appeared above the table like a four-foot wide crystal ball; within it a transformed W.I.T.C.H. stood at the ready. The scene changed to a fierce battle where the Guardians were using their elemental powers to battle misshapen creatures armed with rusted but still deadly battle axes.

Ingrid's upper lip twitched in disgust. "_Lurdens._"

The globe began to change again, the Guardians now battling a one-eyed monstrosity with a giant club for a hand. Another shift showed Will attacking a black-winged man with a gold mask; Dee was surprised at the ferocity in Will's face that suggested the fight was personal. Then it was Hay Lin dueling a twisted version of herself that morphed into a winged humanoid monster ("_Mogriff_," Ingrid whispered to the other girls).

Then Taranee was warding off a sand-like creature with her flaming hands, Irma and Cornelia against a man in a white tuxedo with wierd hair, Will transforming into a being of pure energy against a snake man the size of a building... on and on the scenes appeared, chronicling the previous Guardians' numerous battles as they fought their enemies and also saved lives. Dee and Ingrid were beaming proudly at their mothers by the twentieth scene and when it was over the new Guardians had no doubts about just what they were expected to do.

"So..." Jamila began, "We're superheroes?"

Yan Lin smiled. "Not a bad comparison, but the Guardians report to the Oracle of Candracar, your mentor and boss, instead of doing things on their own. Candracar itself is a dimensional nexus where a fortress stands watch over the universe and its many dimensions."

"The _po_-lice department?" Dee asked sullenly. Irma frowned at her tone but said nothing. "Ingrid said we're like a SWAT team or something for the really big problems."

"That is another good comparison. Every world has heroes and defenders of its own, of course, so the Guardians are called in only when things are at their worst. Meridian was a problem spot for many years until W.I.T.C.H. and their allies finally defeated Phobos and restored Meridian's Heart-"heart" being the avatar of a world's mystical power-to her throne."

Yan Lin patted Elyon's head affectionately. "One of the main tasks of the Guardians is to guard the Hearts, which are either living beings or crystals like the Heart of Candracar. Elyon is Meridian's Heart, as Cornelia's sister Lilian is the Heart of Earth. The Hearts have great power and must be protected... guarded, by you girls." Ingrid started trembling uncontrollably. "Ingrid, please tell me you're not becoming ill, too..."

Ingrid stood up and shouted, "_Yesssss_! I mean, uh, no, I'm fine. I just... I just want to explode! Who are we needing to take down!? Who we gotta save!? _Let's do this_!" Irma laughed at that, remembering her own eagerness at being a Guardian: "_When do we start?!_"

Yan Lin chuckled as she tried to calm Ingrid down. "Easy, easy, my little mud baby! All in good time! The Oracle in his wisdom has decided you are ready to begin, but there are no immediate threats on the horizon." Ingrid looked disappointed as she sat back down. "All Guardians began at your age, regardless of circumstances, so do not be impatient but instead take your time to grow natually. Er, _super_naturally... you know what I mean."

"Mrs. Lin?" Irma said as she stood. "May I tell the girls something?"

Yan Lin regarded her critically for a moment, then said, "Of course."

"Thank you. Okay, I just want to let you guys know that while being a Guardian is a big honor and has lots of perks, there's something you should know first: you don't have to do it." The girls stared at her in surprise. "You have a choice to not do it, whatever anyone says otherwise."

Ingrid frowned sadly, like she was a little girl who had just been told Santa Claus wasn't real. "But... but Aunt Irma, why wouldn't we _not_ want to? It's all I've ever wanted."

"I know that, babe, we must have brainwashed you with all those stories, but..." Irma struggled to find a point that would explain her position. "Jami's super hero comment is the best way to put it, because you're going to have a secret life very few people on this planet even know about. Yeah, the powers are cool and the flying's neat, but it's going to get old fast when you realize that those nifty tricks are the only thing standing between you and death, _real per_-_ma_-_nent_ death. People's lives will depend on you and sometimes you won't be able to save everyone no matter how hard you try."

The girls looked stunned at this, but Irma didn't give them a chance to protest. "Add that to all the usual stuff like school and boys and your childhood is pretty much gone. No one's going to know what you're doing; they won't accept excuses you can't back up. You'll have to cut out on dates, family deals, your own birthday parties... it's going to wreck your social life at times, make no mistake. So the thing is, is it worth it? Ask yourselves that before this goes any further." She sat down again and ignored the looks of the other Guardians, instead focusing on her son as he jabbered nonsense at Hay Lin for not giving him her undivided attention.

The girls thought this over, their faces pensive as they considered Irma's words. Unsurprisingly, it was Ingrid who spoke first. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Auntie Eye, Ireally. But if I wasn't a Guardian, I'd be a soldier in the Meridian Royal Army one day." She threw her long arms around a surprised Dee and a not-so-surprised Nola. "And boys come and go, but sisters are forever."

Jamila was next. "My grandmother taught me to always help other people to the best of my abilities. If being a Guardian increases those abilities-and my chances to help-then there's not even a question of accepting it."

Nola nodded in agreement. "For my people and my mother's adopted world, I can do no less than protect them as a Guardian."

Nestis looked slightly nervous, if only because she had to follow-up such well-spoken sentiments. "Uhm, what they said. My... my dad would want me to." Irma winced as she realized that Nestis' father had died some months before; she hadn't remembered that before emphasizing "death" in her speech. Jamila patted Nestis' hand under the table and squeezed it tightly.

Dee was last and added her own unique twist to her reasoning. "Who cares about birthdays and social crap, anyway? If I get to stay with Will, I'll kick ass on the side." Everyone stared at her, even Tom-Tom. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to cuss... uhm, go team?" Ingrid shook with silent laughter and Nestis brightened at Dee's spirited statement.

"Now _there's_ a Mother's Day card," Irma muttered. "'I'll bust heads for your love, Mommy.'" Dee thought she detected a hint of respect in Officer Lair's tone; despite their differences, she and Dee could agree on Will's safety at least and probably violence in defense of loved ones as well.

Hay Lin gasped before she did something unthinkable: she handed Tom-Tom back to Irma before it was absolutely necessary. A stunned Irma watched as Hay Lin yanked a pen out of somewhere and began to write on her hand. An equally confused Tom-Tom stared at his mother as if asking why Auntie Hay Hay had abandoned him. Irma took it more as a question of identity. "Yeah, I'm the woman that went through thirteen hours of labor to pop you out; nice to meet'cha. Hay Lin, how many times are we going to have to tell you: lead poisoning... _bad_."

Hay Lin sniffed indignantly. "Oh, relax! I'm an art teacher, I know about markers and... and stuff like that. I'm just..." She scribbled. "...figuring..." More scribbling. "...out..." She was covered up to her elbow now. "Aha! Check it out!" She pointed the letter-covered arm under Will's nose. "I present... their team name!"

Will took the arm by the wrist like it was just another piece of stationary (Dee surmised that Hay Lin was prone to doing this a lot) and studied it for several seconds, then looked at Hay Lin with a blank expression. "It's on my vein," Hay Lin supplied; Irma's mouth gaped and she shook her head in exasperation as Will squinted at their friend's arm.

"Oh, I..." Will furrowed her brow. "D, J, I, N, N... Duh-Jen?"

"I believe it's pronounced 'Jen', Miss Will," Jamila supplied and received more blank looks from around the table. "I think what Miss Lin means are what most people call genies." Jamila remembered the stories her grandmother had told her about the spirits that blew across the desert sands. "Djinn are elemental beings in legends that, well... they do all sorts of things, good and bad."

Hay Lin nodded enthusiastically. "I know, that's why it's perfect for you guys! Oh, uh, not that you do bad things, of course." Dee chuckled (somewhat evilly) at that; Irma frowned yet again at the now-_hopefully_-retired food thief.

Ingrid tapped her jaw thoughtfully as she grinned suspiciously. "Aren't they similar to... succubuses? The vampire-like things that, you know, seduce young men and steal their energy after they've had their way with them?"

"Much like you," Nola muttered.

Dee expected Cornelia to be shocked at this question, but Ingrid's mother merely rolled her eyes. "I have brought a maneater into the world; please forgive me, guys. Hey, didn't Irma flirt with a water genie once?"

Irma glared at her. "His name was Jewell, and he was a water _shade_. And we never flirted. I just helped him out."

"Uh, excuse me?" Nestis asked. "Why D.J.I.N.N.? The acronym, I mean?"

"That's easy!" Hay Lin explained. "Diana, Jamila, Ingrid, No... Ness... er, they're swappable. It's a little like a battle cry, 'We are W.I.T.C.H.', that sort of thing. And isn't cute that Will's new daughter is the first initial like she was _and_ we actually call her 'D', too!?"

Dee tried to look grateful for the "cute" comment; it was such a pained expression, it actually hurt to make it. "Oh, thanks." Ingrid chuckled at her and made kissy-faces until Dee's glare ordered her to stop.

Yan Lin clapped her hands together. "Well, we're all fed and the girls even have their name. Now comes my favorite part: everybody gets to meet the boys!"

Cornelia smiled indulgently as she stood with assistance from Will and Elyon. "Alright, alright. Just get me to the couch first."

Dee looked at her new teammates for an explanation; Nestis provided a vague one. "Oh, do we get to feel?" _Feel what_? Dee thought as the escorted mother-again-to-be walked over to the love seat. "Can I be first?"

"Oh, no," Ingrid said, as she grabbed Dee's arm, "That honor goes to our new boss-lady. Come on, Di, come meet my little brothers before they get annoying."

Comprehension dawned, and it was horrible. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no..." But Dee was powerless in the stronger girl's grip as she was quite literally dragged to Cornelia; her hi-tops were squeaking on the floor as she neared the couch. "I... I... don't know... my... my powers..."

"You'll be fine, c'mon, rub the belly!" Dee actually whimpered as Ingrid forced her hand down to her mother's stomach. "You know you want to."

Dee knew the others were enjoying her discomfort, but she was more concerned with what was about to happen. Cornelia tried to comfort her. "It's okay, Diana, it's a great feeling. Well, except for the morning sickness."

Dee winced/smiled weakly at Cornelia. "O-o-o-o-kay." Dee knelt and placed her hand gently on Cornelia's tummy. "Uhm, I don't feel anything yet-yipe!" Something bumped against her hand and Dee backed away in fright. "They're alive!" Everyone laughed; Dee groaned as she realized she had topped herself in the category for "Most Asinine Comment". It was always good to improve, right? Right...

"I'm next!" Hay Lin said in a giddy voice, thankfully drawing attention away from a flustered Dee. For the next twenty minutes everyone got to "meet the boys" from Hay Lin to an oblivious but still excited Tom-Tom. Dee watched the proceedings with a slight sense of uneasiness, feeling more like an intruder than a guest of honor. Will's extended family meshed together so well they seemed more like a real unit than just a group of friends. They were so different from anything Dee had ever known, she couldn't even begin to understand how to become part of this wierd yet strangely wonderful world that Will had brought her into.

A soft hand touched her shoulder and she turned to see Mrs Lin smiling at her. "Quite a crew, isn't it?"

Dee nodded slowly. "They're... you're all very tight."

"That's true. But we aren't tight enough that there is no room for more. Surely you've noticed how excited everyone is about Cornelia's twins?"

"That's not really the same." It was odd how they were talking about her without actually saying it. "Babies are... clean slates. No past, just a future. And they'll be cute, too... they look like they're supposed to, not what they pretended to be." Dee touched her (_ugly_) hair for emphasis.

Yan Lin's face fell in sympathy. "Ah, that is true, but not everyone is born into a family. Will did not always live in Heatherfield or know her friends, and Ingrid's father is as dear to me as a son, yet he came from an entirely different world. You are not our baby, no, but you are more like... a flower, one that was neglected that has been replanted into new soil, _better _soil. Your past clings to you like that nasty old dirt that comes with the flower, but eventally we will be your new earth and support you. And you will be a beautiful one, I think."

Dee stared at the old woman before asking, "You write the fortunes for the cookies, don't you?"

Yan Lin laughed. "For nearly seventy years now! Kidding aside... give it time, Diana. You are not so different from us than you think. You are a Guardian, after all, just like us. Will you help me clear the table?"

Dee grimaced as she fought down a smile; for some reason, Yan Lin always made her want to grin. "Sure, least I can do. Maybe I can grab some 'leftovers' while I'm at it... just kidding, Mrs. Lin."

* * *

"We have to transform! Just once! C'mooooooooon..." 

Nola rolled her eyes. "Control yourself, Ingrid. This is not some new video game, this is a great responsibility."

"Oh, like you don't want to, Princess! Remember when we played 'Guardians' when we were kids? You squirting the palace guards and 'saving' Aunt Ellie from Sandy and Big G?"

Nola looked flustered as she waved her hand dismissively. "That was all well and good when we were small children..."

"It was two years ago, Blondie. We were, like, ten at the time. Well, I was eleven..."

"That's not the point. We should only transform for a crisis or practice. Even then, Diana is the leader and she should decide our training schedule."

Ingrid looked over at Dee as she helped Mrs. Lin and Will clean the table. "I know, I'm not trying to start a mutiny here. But still, don't you think we need to transform just to get the hang of it, in case something happens?"

Nola considered this. "I suppose... it is a valid point. Of course, you still want to play around with your powers, don't you?"

Ingrid didn't even try to deny it. "Well, yeah! But logic is on my side this time!"

"...I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. Eventually. Very well. Inform Jamila and Nestis and I will talk to Diana."

"Right away, Sir! Ma'am... sir. Ugh, maybe it's better I'm not going to be an army girl... uh, Nollie, before you do, can I give you some advice? This girl... she does not seem like the type that takes orders well. I'm used to your... commanding presence, of course, but she isn't; so you might want to do the diplomacy thing and _suggest _we practice, mmmkay?"

Nola gave her a condescending look. "I'll try."

"Good. Oh, and Nollie, don't call her Diana, she seems to hate that name."

"And shall I rub her feet as well?" Nola replied testily.

"Well, you do give good foot massages, but I don't think that'll be necessary."

Wondering for the millionth time how she could be friends with this girl and for the millionth time chalking it up to their mothers' relationship, Nola walked over to Dee and tapped her on the shoulder. She was rather alarmed when the Keeper spun around with a nearly dropped plate and a startled expression. Nola was reminded of the cute animals native to Earth Guardian Lin called "bunny rabbits"; Dee seemed to share their skittish nature. "I apologize..."

"No problem." That was said a little too fast; a recovery.

"Ah... Dee. Ingrid has proposed that we hold a practice session as soon as possible so we can get used to our Guardian forms and abilities. Would that be acceptable?"

Dee just stared at her for several long seconds before answering. "Oh. Oh, sure. It's a good idea 'cuz the flying alone... wait, Will wants me to meet her family tonight..."

Will looked up and smiled. "Oh, that won't be for a couple of hours. You've got plenty of time. Where are you going to be practicing at?"

"We haven't decided yet," Nola admitted. "Where would you suggest, Guardian Vandom?"

"Nola, you can call me Will, you know. I changed your diapers, remember?"

"And I thank you for that... Will. That was very kind of you." Nola paused. "And you were quite good at it, according to Mother."

Ingrid came up behind Nola and lay her chin on the princess' shoulder. "Talk about doing the 'royal doody'!" Everyone in earshot winced and/or groaned. "Sorry, it had to be said."

"Did it now?" Nola asked sourly.

Will recovered from the joke and continued. "Well, we used to practice at Shell Cove here in Heatherfield, but with the new housing projects out that way there's too many chances to be seen. It might be best for you guys to practice in Meridian. Dee can Fold, or Elyon could send you there. No offense, Dee, but Folding to a specific location is tricky; I was worse at it than flying at first."

Ingrid was running her hands through her bushy hair when her eyes widened. "Oh, I have the perfect place: Lamor Mesa, in Torus Leeun! It's isolated, high off the ground, all the really dangerous animals are at the bottom..."

"Dangerous?" Nestis asked meekly.

"Elyon?" Will called out to the young queen. "The girls need to Fold somewhere for a practice session, a Lamor Mesa in Meridian."

It wasn't just Elyon that responded to this; All the former Guardians turned their attention to their successors to wish them luck and offer last minute advice until Yan Lin shooed them away. As Dee watched the proceedings she realized that while every other member of W.I.T.C.H. and D.J.I.N.N. had their counterpart in Mrs. Lin's generation, she and Will were the only Keepers of the Heart. Instantly she started to ask Will where her predesessor was before she realized that she may have died or something; after all, the older Guardians were just that, _old_, and the job sounded like a dangerous occupation. Come to think of it, why was Cassidy with the old ladies? She looked like she was about forty, not eighty.

Dee's curiosity was driving her nuts, but she held her questions in check. She had a feeling the answers were painful and the last thing she wanted to do was give these people a reason to dislike her. She instead focused on what was going on around her.

"And remember, if a Passling tries to sell you anything you don't touch it," Cornelia said to her daughter, fighting back tears. "And don't drink the water, you hear me?"

"Ma, you're killing me. Like this is the first time I've been to Meridian." Ingrid sighed. "And the water's fine. Most of it, anyway."

"I know, I know... but you're a Guardian now. My baby's a Guardian..."

"Mom, you're crying again. Please don't do that; it makes me feel bad." This only seemed to make Cornelia cry harder. "Aw, geez... can we get some napkins over here?"

The other members of W.I.T.C.H. were giving their elemental sisters advice before they left. Taranee was passing along tips on how to control fire; Jami was listening intently and giving Taranee her undivided attention, so much so Dee figured she was an excellent student in school. Hay Lin was more startling Nestis than helping her with her sharp hand movements and quasi-manic outbursts on the joys of air. Irma was outlining some of her favorite water attacks while Nola held Tom-Tom for her, the little rascal smearing snot all over Nola's gorgeous hair and wardrobe; to the noble's credit she gave no hint of being offset by the disgusting display of affection.

Will, however, just gave Dee words of encouragement. "You're going to do great, Dee, I know it. Just remember that being the leader means you're responsible for them, not that they have to do whatever you tell them."

"I got it. I... gotta admit, I don't feel like giving anyone orders. I never have before, so why me?"

"I never did, either; in fact, I was just a wallflower at first. But we were chosen by a wise being that has faith in you, Dee, just like I do. Call it... mother's intuition." She gave Dee a hug which the girl returned whole-heartedly.

"Aaaah"s circulated through the room. "Someone get a picture!" Hay Lin cried. There was a bright flash and a click as Taranee snapped a perfect picture of Will laughing and Dee glaring at the camera.

Elyon walked to the empty side of the dining room and waved her hand. The Fold that appeared was large enough for the girls to enter side by side, Dee noted as they lined up in front of it. The previous Guardians were their audience and the members of W.I.T.C.H. were standing behind them with their hands on their successors' shoulders.

"So, we just walk through it?" Nestis asked, remembering an old movie with a strange-voiced old lady. Was going into the light a good thing, or a bad thing? It was the end of the movie, that was for sure.

"Don't worry, Ness," Ingrid assured her. "I've Folded hundreds of time, lots of them just to spend the night at Nola's. Here, take my hand." Nestis did so with a shaky smile.

Dee looked back at Will with a worried expression. "You're not going anywhere, are you? You'll stay here with the Lins til I get back?"

Will placed a hand on her head. "It's okay, Dee, I won't leave you, I promise." Her mouth twitched. "You don't know how badly I've wanted a kid of my own..."

"No, that's not... I mean, what if the spider comes back and I'm not here?" The image of Will pinned down by the monster flashed through her mind again and the terror that rose with it had a life of its own.

Will brushed the girl's cheek with her hand. "I'll be fine, kid, really. The others are here and I won't leave until you get back, I promise. Now let go of that fear, a Guardian has to have her head in the game."

Dee swallowed and said, "Okay. But not a foot outside this restaurant, right?"

"Right, not even a toe. Now, get going! Times a-wastin', Keeper!"

Dee smiled at her and turned back to the Fold. "Are you guys ready?" The others nodded. "Well, uh... Guardians, move out!" That sounded very leader-like, Dee thought to herself as the five girls vanished within the Fold. The tear in space-time faded as soon as the last molecule of Nola's hair entered it, sealing the rift between the two worlds.

"Well," Will said, her heart strangely heavy with Dee gone, "I hope their practice goes better than our first one did."

"We didn't do that bad," Taranee defended. "Did we?"

Irma scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Uh, one word, T: crabs." For some reason she couldn't exactly remember, Taranee grabbed her hair braids as if to check for clinging critters. The only one she found was Tom-Tom.

"Sorry!" Hay Lin said. "Got too close! Your beads look like M&Ms!"

"Em mee ems!" Tom-Tom affirmed.

* * *

Dee's auspicious first step into another dimension ended with her face falling into Nestis' crotch. 

Traveling by Fold is one of the safest and most pleasant ways to travel; quite literally one second you're in one place, the next you're in another and everyone flies first-class. Some first-timers, however, anticipate disorientation and try to prepare for it only to end up creating the disorientation themselves through forced perception and over-alertness. Such was the case with with Dee, Jamila, and Nestis.

Ingrid and Nola emerged on the edges of the group with the long practice of many Foldings. They released Nestis and Jamila a little earlier than they should have, though, as the two girls immediately reacted once the harsh winds of the Lamor Mesa replaced the air-conditioned interior of the _Silver Dragon_. Nestis was doubly disoriented by the change in air pressure due to her affinity with the atmosphere, making the sudden expanse of the Meridian skies almost blind her with the sudden intake of the scents of another world. She gripped Dee's arm to steady herself only to find her leader was offput by the residual effects of Elyon's massive power; she ended up yanking Dee off-balance and onto her as she fell onto the rocky ground.

Jamila fared slightly better as she only had to lean against Nola for a few seconds, an old ailment returning to strike once more. "I'm sorry, I... I get motion sickness sometimes."

"That's alright," Nola replied, "Just breathe slowly until it passes."

Nestis looked down at Dee apologetically. "I'm sorry, Dee, it's the air here. I've always been sensitive in my nose... my sinuses."

"S'okay." Dee straightened up and pulled Nestis to her feet. She looked around at the mesa and noted it stretched for a mile in every direction. "Well, it's certainly big enough, Ingrid. _Brrrrrrrrr_, and freezing! Not mini-skirt weather, for sure."

Ingrid patted Dee's shoulder. "Sorry about that, but once you get Guardian again you'll hardly notice. Let's get some room, girls. Aunt Irma always said distance was key to transforming." The four Guardians spread out until they were arranged in a square formation around Dee. "Ready when you are, Boss Lady."

Dee nodded and swallowed as she held the Heart of Candracar in the palm of her hand; the talisman was twinkling almost as if in anticipation. Dee wouldn't have been surprised if that had been the case. "Okay, uhhhh... Guardians Unite?"

The Heart's light began to strobe faster until Dee could no longer look at it. The crystal hovered above Dee's head until the string tugged at her ears. Struggling to glance up at the talisman, Dee saw it shoot four beams of lights at the other girls.

An orange beam flew to a serene Jamila and wrapped her in a cocoon the color of a sun.

A green beam encircled an excited Ingrid before surrounding her with a green orb the soft hue of a sunlit leaf.

A white beam nearly knocked over a startled Nestis and sent her feathery hair spinning straight up before sealing her in a pearl of aether.

A blue beam was barely noticed by the stoic Nola as it danced over her and became a cerulean drop of rebirth.

The Heart became Dee's own medium for transformation; the sensations she felt were becoming familiar yet still surreal, like a new activity she'd also been doing her entire life. Within the orbs the girls changed and grew until they were something entirely new; the Guardians had returned.

Hands held akimbo and her eyes closed, Dee felt herself touch down on the mesa. Her wings twitched in their eagerness for flight, but Dee forced herself to be calm. She opened her eyes and was immediately drawn to an open flame in her line of sight.

It was Jamila, but not the Jamila Dee remembered meeting. The first thing Dee noticed was the light purple balacava that covered her face from the bridge of her nose to her collarbones; the veil was part of a simiarly colored headdress that covered everything but the area around the eyes and gave Jamila a fierce appearance, the fireball in her hand aiding in the image.

While her head was covered the rest of her was decidely not. Her arms were bare save for three thick green bracelets on her fore-arms and a small purple bell hanging from each. A green dress similar to the _qipao _Will wore started at the top of Jamila's now-improved bust line with claw-shaped extension curving around the right side of her chest and fell to her ankles, slitting at the hips to show an amount of skin that scandalized even Dee and also helped display the girl's magical aging with her muscled legs. Her feet were clad in purple slippers and calf-length green-striped socks; that and the rest of her new look making her look every bit the role of the djinn she had defined to the others.

A strong gust of wind hit Dee and she turned to look at the source. Nestis didn't even notice as she was too caught up looking at her... _mammaries_ which had ballooned even larger than Jamila's. This new maturity was further highlighted by her Guardian form's tight-fitting purple jumpsuit with flared sleeves and tight-fitted pants legs that were colored green from the elbows and knees to the ends; claw-shaped strips on either side of the vertical oval cut out of the jumpsuit's stomach reached toward her navel and encircled the orifice, looking to Dee very much like an eye on Nestis' stomach. Purple fringe that made Dee think of Davy Crockett ran along her arms from her shoulders to her sleeves and her legs from the back of her knees to her ankles.

The sleeves themselves were larger than they needed to be, giving them the appearance of wings when Nestis spread her arms. A green-and-purple rope was tied around her waist like a belt and the knot sitting off her left side. She wore footwear similar to mountain boots with soles notched for traction.

But what really amazed Dee were the changes made above her neck-line. Nestis' already impressive hair was bound upward in a tight three-foot long platinum pony-tail with two feathers stuck through it like hair sticks; the feathers, strangely but somehow appropriately, were green with purple tips. Almost as odd as that, the brown markings in that same hair now formed indistinct shapes that looked similar to the Heart; a circular spot fitted into a C-shaped line repeated all over her hair, save for the tips of her ponytail and her bangs which were colored dark brown and served to reinforce the image of plumage.

Ingrid's new look was hard to see (since she was jumping up and down at almost Hay Lin levels of excitement) but Dee smiled when she realized Ingrid's uniform looked similar to her mother's old one. The tight green top was similar but with elbow-length sleeves (surprisingly, a purple bandanna was tied in the same place as her red one) and a shorter purple skirt that looped around her navel with two claw-like swaths of fabric and cut off at the knees where it met the seemingly required Guardian socks; there was one major difference, though, in the sleeveless purple coat that hung to her waist and covered the back of her neck with it's large and odd-looking collar. Dee thought her outfit looked like something a biker chick would wear, but more colorful.

Like the other two girls and Dee her body had aged and her height increased; she now stood even taller at nearly six-eight to Dee's six foot exactly. Her wild hair looked alive as it blew wildly in the breeze like the branches of a weeping willow. Her expression was excited and almost intimidating in its intensity; appropriately, every time she hit the ground the mesa shook a little with tremors like the girl weighed several tons.

Dee turned to inspect the last member of D.J.I.N.N. and her jaw dropped. Just dropped.

The hair was everywhere, traveling down the princess' back and over her shoulders to her knees like a cloak of gold. A flowing purple dress attached to a green choker covered her to her ankles but still hugged her torso tightly. From the waist down the dress split into more rectangular three-inch tangles with curved ends than Dee could count and Nola's movements revealed the "Guardian Socks" as part of a full-length leotard that ended at purple hotpants not unlike Dee's; when she stood still the tangles seemed to merge together to form an elegant bell-shaped dress, like water changing to ice. Her purple open-toed pumps looked incredibly awkward to Dee, yet she turned and whirled gracefully (making her tangles and hair spin really neatly, too) as she felt out the costume.

During one of her turns she noticed Dee's still-shocked expression. "Something wrong, Keeper?"

Dee's jaw snapped shut. "No! Uh, no, not at all. You... you look great. You all do."

Ingrid smirked and pointed at Dee herself. "Look who's talking! You lost the Boy Look, Di!"

Dee shrugged. "For now at least, but thanks. Well... Ingrid, you're the Guardian expert, right? How do we go about this?"

Ingrid's grin faltered. "Ummmm... well, there's really no better way to do it than to just... do it! Can I go first, boss lady?" Dee nodded. "Thaaannnk you!" Ingrid placed her hand on the ground and began to feel for the cosmic forces that lay within her. It didn't take long for her to find them and with a shouted, "Earth!" she ripped a ten foot-tall boulder out of the ground and suspended it in the air with her powers. The other girls applauded as a smiling Ingrid struck a bow.

And then she dropped the boulder. The rock fell into its former resting place and began to tip over back over onto Ingrid, who yelped as she instinctively flew into the air. When the boulder crashed down it sent up a cloud of dust that coated the other Guardians. Ingrid didn't notice this at first as she was too excited to be flying. "Wow! Hey, guys, check me out I'm-oh, sorry."

Dee coughed and blinked her eyes. "Accidents happen. Hey, Nestis, you're the wind one, right? Can you blow the dust off?"

"Uh, sure." Nestis bit her lip. "Uhm, Air?" A light breeze made Nola's tangles flutter weakly.

"Nice shoes," Jamila complimented the Water Guardian. Nola smiled and nodded gratefully.

"C'mon, Nessie!" Ingrid yelled from her airborne position and punched her arms in front of her. "Give it some gust! '_Air_'! Belt it out!"

Nestis swallowed. "O-okay." She waved her arms like a maestro. "Air!" A powerful blast of wind hit the other three Guardians and sent them flying off their feet. All three girls shrieked a little before their wings kicked in. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Dee grabbed Nola's leg and Jamila's arm to steady them; her previous experience at flying was coming in very handy right now. "Whew! S'okay, Ness. Maybe we should try the wings first. It's the one thing we all have in common, well, besides the Mardi Gras outfits." Releasing the girls' limbs she shot up into the air and started doing loops and dives. The girls' eyes began to spin in their sockets as they tried to follow her. "Will told me that flight is thinking. Now, thinking is not my strong point..."

"Could've fooled me," Ingrid deadpanned, feeling slightly flight-envious. It seemed like such a _guy_ thing to do, she thought, but the girl had obvious talent.

"...but it gets easier the more you do it." Dee spun like top as she came to a rest next to Ingrid. "Okay, come on up!"

Nola and Jamila slowly rose until they on level with Dee and Ingrid; Nestis trailed behind as she shakily ascended. The Guardians began to experiment with their wings, moving in straight lines and attempting more complex manuvers as they became more confident. As Dee assessed them she noted that Nola progressed well with her innate self-control; she was able to keep up with Dee after a few minutes of practice though her manuevers were somewhat stiff and unimaginative, the Keeper thought with a smirk. Jamila and Ingrid were about equal, still getting the hang of it but definitely making headway. Nestis, however, was in a league of her own.

It wasn't a good league, unfortunately. The Air Guardian overcompensated horribly and made the smallest loops into sweeping arcs that threw her dozens of yards away from the other Guardians. Her speed was almost breakneck, like a hummingbird that had been hitting the sugar water too hard. "Keep it under the speed limit, Ness!" Ingrid urged with little effect as Nestis zoomed by, then lifted her legs to her chest as she zoomed back to avoid a mid-air Air Guardian collision. "Yow!"

It wasn't that she lacked control, Dee realized, but that she had much more to handle than the other Guardians. It was like the air itself (and Dee realized this was very likely) was moving out of her way and lowering resistance almost to the point where Nestis was practically flying in a vaccum. When Dee asked Nestis to stop she floated over to Dee with a pained smile, her sleeves hanging limply along with her arms in surrender. "Are you going to fire me?"

"Get real! You're doing okay..." Nestis grunted at that. "It's just that your engines have more horsepower than ours. I think you're pushing the air somehow."

Ingrid buzzed over and said, "Hay Lin always was the best flier, so it must be an Air Guardian thing. Just gotta fine-tune yourself, Ness."

"Ingrid Hale, the daredevil of Meridian, lecturing on self-control?" Nola said haughtily from her position a few yards away. "Truly I have seen it all at such a young age!"

Ingrid shook a fist at her life-long friend. "Don't make me come over there and mess up your hair, Your Ladyship! It's all you've got, really."

Nola huffed and placed her hands on her hips. "Really?! And all you have is your loud mouth, peasant!"

"Oh, you are _dead_!" Ingrid launched herself at Nola and soon the two Guardians were wrestling and tumbling through the air in a cat-fight dog-fight, cursing each other's pedigree and physical attributes much like their mothers had been earlier.

Nestis was horrified. "Dee, you have to stop them!"

Dee smiled and shook her head. "They're just play-fighting, Nestis. Besides, this is too good to interrrupt!"

Jamila drifted in beside them. When she spoke it was in a clear voice despite the balacava and the fabric moved with her mouth, making her look more human than she had previously. "You two haven't seen them do this before, but I've lost count of the times they've attacked each other like this. They'll be done in a few minutes. If anything, it seems to be helping them master their flying." As she was saying this, Nola was chasing Ingrid in circles and figure-eights as the Earth Guardian taunted her.

Nestis sighed loudly as she attempted to do a backward flip and nearly kicked Dee in her rear. "I just can't get the hang of this, it's..." She paused and cupped her hand to her ear. "Hey, do you guys hear something?"

Dee and Jamila looked at each other, then at the feuding friends. "Other than those two, nothing. Why, what does it sound like?"

"Like, like... yelling. People yelling." Nestis strained to listen harder and suddenly the distant noises snapped into clarity. "Oh, my... someone's being attacked! At the foot of the mesa!"

Not entirely sure how Nestis knew that, Dee still turned and yelled at Ingrid and Nola, "Guardians, get with it! We got work to do!" They stopped with their hands gripping the other's clothes and quickly joined up with the others. "Nestis, lead the way..." The Air Guardian took off like a shot before the other Guardians could react. "But wait for us!"

D.J.I.N. began following her before Dee could finish her short sentence, but Nestis still had to slow down for them to catch up. In seconds their reached the edge of the plateau, the desert of Torus Leeun stretching out before like the Nevada desert but with a much lower temperature index. The Guardians all felt their stomachs drop as they realized how high up they but even the daunted Nestis dove over the edge in pursuit of the frantic cries of battle.

The five girls shrieked as one as they plummeted alongside the thousand-foot-tall mesa, Ingrid and Dee adding swear words to their own cries as they dodged flagpole-like rock formations that could not have formed on Earth. They were both terrified and having the time of their lives, like a roller coaster without the actual ride, or even a safety bar.

As they neared the ground their enhanced eyes began to pick to pick out the scene of their first battle. A convoy of ten wagons was being beseiged by a force of forty bandits that outnumbered the guards nearly three to one, the guards barely holding them back with their superior training and weapons. Nola recognized the wagons as belonging to a promininent merchant guild and were more than likely loaded with silks and spices from the coast; if the bandits took these wagons, they could likely retire on them. Nola and the other Guardians intended to deny them their pension.

"Stop!" Dee called out a hundred feet above the melee. Nola and Ingrid obeyed but looked irked that their assault was postponed. Dee studied the situation and quickly formulated a plan. "Hit the goons from the sides so as to not blast the guards. Don't hold back, any of you," she warned. "They won't. Alright, go!"

Nola and Ingrid went left and Jamila and Nestis to the right, Dee heading straight down and targeting a large group of foes that were advancing on a wounded guard, eager for easy prey. She unleashed her righteous anger through fuchsia lightning that struck the thieves and knocked them unconcious to the desert floor. When a single bandit came runnig towards swinging a rusty sword she planted a book in his face with the same spin-kick that threw Officer Lair over a table; she grinned at the memory as the thug dropped.

Another bandit came at her from behind and would have taken Dee by surprise had he not _also_ been yelling his head off like the other one. Dee shook her head as she did a flying back-flip and landed on the guy's shoulders and slammed him facefirst into the ground before shocking him unconcious through her boots.

Ingrid dropped in the middle of a circle of thugs and quickly crouched and spun in a smooth movement made possible by years of combat training with Meridian's greatest warrior, "Daddy." She terrakineticly wrenched the sandstone from its rigid state and turned it into dry quicksand; the bandits sank up to their necks before she re-solidified it, trapping them in the earth. "I'll let you go before the ants find you," she half-heartedly. "If I remember." The bandits looked worried and with good reason; the ants in Torus Leeun were the size of Earth horses.

Ingird glanced over at Nola, who was throwing more water than the desert had seen in years. Back perfectly straight and with a face almost devoid of emotion, she was using one hand to project a water blast as strong as fire hose to hold off a dozen bandits. "Foul vandals! Not in my kingdom will you prey on the innocent!"

Ingrid shook her head and looked at one of the bandits she'd imprisoned. "Who writes her material, huh?" The bandit murmured something through the grit in his mouth; Ingrid still got the gist. "How rude!" She dumped a clump of sand on his head and flew off to help Nola. "Save some for me, Long Legs!" Ingrid regretted the lack of vegetation around the area, but the cacti looked promising...

On the other side of the wagon train Jamila was flinging fireballs at random targets when a particularly large brute swung a six-foot long mace at her. Unable to dodge, she flung a hand up to block the attack and unconciously willed the fireball in her palm to stop the mace. The fireball flattened into a blade-like construct so hot it burned molten white; the mace's handle was cleanly cauterized and the iron head fell behind Jamila to crack the hard rock of the desert floor.

The brute looked dumbly at his broken weapon before staring at Jamila. Always quick on the uptake, Jamila created another flame-saber and crossed it in front of her with the first one until the heat caused the brute to break out in a sudden sweat. When he realized what those sabers could do to him, he began to sweat even more. Jamila herself was unaffected by the heat other then the demonic gleam in her eyes reflecting from the blades. "This is the part where you consider a career change."

The brute did so and began to run away from her in order to start a rewarding future in digging itches. Anything was better than scary girls with scarier swords. Jamila turned to face her next opponents only to find they had also reevaluated their lifestyles and were taking their leave. Incredibly satisfied, she lowered her flame scimitars and noticed that Nestis was cleaning up the last of the bandits... and part of the countryside, too.

Goons, tumbleweeds and even entire rock formations were being blown away by Ness' torrent of wind. The air tunnel was pushing them away with two-hundred mile gusts that contrasted sharply with the still air at the bottom of the mesa; a bandit was running toward her one minute, then flying end over end the next as she moved her arms toward him.

"Ness!" Dee cried over the roar of the handheld hurricane as she swooped next to her. "It's over, we won! You..." WHAM!

* * *

"Dee! Dee, are you okay!? C'mon, boss lady, c'mon..." 

"Murmurrrrr..." Dee groaned as she opened her eyes and saw Ingrid's worried face. "...what happened?"

Ingrid smiled in relief, then looked embarassed. "Uh... well... Nestis kinda blasted you into a wagon."

Dee realized she was leaning up against the side of one of the wagons (likely the one she'd hit, given the alarmingly deep indention in the splintered wood) and her head really hurt. Really, _really_ hurt. She tried to move it. "_Ah-ah-ah-ah_... yeowch. I am glad... she is on _our_ side. Mmmm... what'd did I miss?"

"Well, bandits are either gone or captured and no casualties among the guards, but lots of injuries. Nola's talking to the wagon master," Ingrid gestured over her shoulder where the princess was talking to a large man with an eyepatch who was bowing on one knee before her, "and she's trying to arrange an escort to an outpost several miles from here. On your say-so, of course, boss."

Dee sucked in some dusty air and coughed. "Sure... sure, just help me up." Ingrid did so and held Dee steady until she got her footing. "Okay, standing is good, feeling a little better..." She saw Jamila flying ovehead, probably patroling the area just to be on the safe side. That accounted for all the Guardians except... "Nestis. Where is she?"

Ingrid swallowed. "Look, I know you feel like hell, but it was an accident..."

Dee waved her hand in annoyance. 'I'm not going to tear her a new one, I just want to see her."

"Oh, in that case... NESTIS!" Dee winced as the name reverberated through her skull. "Oops, sorry."

Nestis emerged meekly from the other side of the wagon. Even in her pain Dee felt bad at the miserable expression on her face. She tried to smile at Nestis, but that hurt, too. "Don't look so down, Ness, I'm alright."

Nestis' wings and sleeves drooped as her face fell. "I'm such an idiot! I couldn't hold back the wind so I just let it all go and... I heard you yelling and I thought you were a bad guy so..." She embraced Dee. "I'm sorry!"

Dee's head was in agony from the mild impact of the hug but she forced a smile on her face and patted Nestis on the back. "I forgive you, Nestis, it's okay." _Please stop hugging me now, head all achey_... Nestis released her. _Whew_! "Man, that's embarassing; my first Guardian brawl and I get taken out by my own girl!" Ingrid laughed loudly while Nestis smoothed her bangs over her eyes as if trying to hide them.

"Well," Ingrid said with a grin, "At least you got taken out by our muscle; Nessie hits like a sledgehammer!"

Nola walked over, her legs barely breaking the covering of the tangles like a hand in a waterfall; _damn that girl for making it look so easy_, Dee and Ingrid thought simultaneously. "You look well, Diana. Are you?"

"Don't call me Diana," Dee asked, an order that was the beginning of a life-long tradition/feud between the two Guardians. "Just Dee. And, yeah, I'm fine." _I could use a ton of aspirin, but_... "So, we're going to escort these guys, right?"

Nola looked sheepish, or at least as close to sheepish as a royal could. "Er, I apologize, Di... Dee, I did not presume to usurp your status as leader."

Dee smiled appeasingly; it hurt less than it did last time. "Look, we need to get some things straight. I've never led anything more than a cookie raid before, so I'm learning as I go. If I'm doing something wrong, tell me, especially when it's your area of expertise. It's your world, Nola, so I'm not going to bit... whine about who's giving orders. And I was unconscious, anyway."

Nola nodded. "Thank you, Keeper. When you are ready... the wagon master has offered you a seat if you are unable to fly right away. Perhaps you would like to rest a bit, regardless?"

Figuring she was good for flying, Dee fluttered her wings experimently and discovered a shooting pain that made her change her mind. "Ow... yeah, I'll take him up on that."

* * *

Some distance away from the convoy a cloaked figure stood on large boulder and gazed at the Guardians with magically enhanced eyesight. Its gaze lingered on Dee in particular, the girl who had outmanuvered the Beast the previous evening. It had been somewhat amusing when the Air Guardian defeated her with a simple mistake, but even that was cause for concern since it indicated the clumsy girl still possessed incredible power. Personal enmity aside, the cloaked observer had to admit the new Guardians had acquitted themselves well in their first confrontation. 

The plan must be accelerated, then, before they became more dangerous. The observer turned and stepped off the edge of the boulder and, instead of falling on the rocks below, vanished into Torus Leeun's dusty air.

* * *

Author's Note: Mythologically, djinn have been around since the times of polytheistic religions in the pre-Islamic Middle East. In modern times Muslims think of djinn like Christians think of angels: supernatural creatures made of elements. As angels are made of light, djinn are made of "smokeless fire" (Wikipedia) and have the capacity to be good and evil. Though Jamila does not have a religion per se, you can see why I made her the Fire Guardian. Check out the Wiki article on djinn if you want to know more. 

I think Shell Cove is the name of the Guardians' practice spot in the show and seem to favor for Folding without being seen; it's also where Frost holds them captive in the first episode of Season Two. Cassidy mentions it in one episode while she's there with Nerissa and I think it was called that. It's driving me nuts, to be honest, but even if I'm wrong you know what I mean. DJINN's practice spot and the Western-like region it's in are homages to famed western author Louis Lamour and director Sergio Leone and also excuses because it's hard for me to think up names for places.

Though set in the TV continuity, I made a few references to some comic book characters like Ludmoore and Jewell the water shade, just for fun. Here's hoping there's a season three for them to appear in; keepin' the faith since Kim Possible was canceled and came back for another run.

Speaking of fun, I like to put in little details in stories to see if anyone notices. Case in point: the fang that Nola got for Ingrid is from a type of bat-like monster from Final Fantasy XII, my poison/RPG of late; if they made a W.I.T.C.H. R.P.G. they would do well to use a similar game engine and I think Nestis' unique hair may be partly inspired by the character Fran from that same game. The steeling's fangs can be sold as loot in the game or given to your psychotic girlfriends that like to play with monsters; just kidding on that last part.

Well, the Guardians have transformed for the first time and struck a blow for justice in their "Mardia Gras" costumes. I noticed when I was looking at W.I.T.C.H.'s costumes that the letters of their names might be represented by the "claws" on the clothes; ex. Cornelia's "C" around her navel, Will's two claws on her mini-skirt as the tops of the "W" and Hay Lin's shoulder claws making an "H" shape, and around Taranee's neck. C.H.Y.K.N. has claws, too, so they might be symbolic of the Heart's frame and yes, I think way too much on this.

Hardest costume? Nestis' disco fever ensemble, for sure. I wish I could draw because that one got tricky. Nestis' ponytail is similar to Kadma's when she was younger, her rope belt is like Hay Lin's cord, Dee's uniform is reminiscent of Will's and Yuna's sleeves from Final Fantasy X (who's a fan?), but for the most part I just made the outfit match the girl's heritage and interests (ex. Ingrid's coat is like Caleb's and the rest of her outfit's basically a variant of Cornelia's uniform).


	6. Advice From The Experts

Disclaimer. D.J.I.N.N. is an original concept created by koolkame and mingles side by side with the W.I.T.C.H. characters. Like oil and water, or Blunk and fresh air, or koolkame and sunlight. AAAAHHHHH! It burns! I take it back! So bright...

Author's Note: DJINN Hay Lin is based on both my grandmother and my old art teacher, which are two of the craziest people I've ever met that aren't literally certifiable. If you think Hay Lin's a little too over-done, you obviously haven't met either of them.

Since I gave the girls their name titles, I figured I'd do the same for myself. The result? Well... I'm "The Dark Son of Dionysius and Nicholas." Yeah, I know; sounds like the premise for a gothic spin on "My Two Dads."

Little thing I need to say: Taranee's visor-like glasses are based off of the pairs her future self wears in Issue 50. Very cool-looking (I want a pair) but more importantly it's not my idea. Credit where it's due, or where it's not in this case.

There's a DJINN forum up in the WITCH category called TomTom's Playground if you're interested in talking about the story. Three categories are already up and you can start your own topics if you want, as long as they pertain to DJINN, please. If any one has any experience moderating a forum, could you please PM me? I need a little advice to make it the best possible forum I can.

As a Wiki fiend, I decided to search for the DJINN girls on Wikipedia on a whim. Sadly, no article has been made for the fic yet (just kiddin') but I uncovered some interesting tidbits:

Dee means "good" in the language of Thailand.

Jamila is the name of a monster from the Ultraman superhero show. Okaaaaay... well, the monster has a weakness to water and Jami is a fire elemental... never mind, moving on.

There are a few historical figures with Ingrid's name, two of which are princesses, and a dance artist (In-Grid) from Italy but my favorite connection is the asteroid 1026 Ingrid that was discovered in 1923. A giant piece of rock is pretty appropriate for an Earth Guardian, I think, and knowing Ingrid her response would be: "I can break it!"

Nola is a city in Italy (the WITCH comic's birthplace) that has had several famous people live (and in the case of Augustus Caesar, die) there including Saint Paulinius of Nola who is credited with the creation of church bells. Remember that Nola's name means "bell" and you can see the possible connection. Interestingly, there's a movie called _Nola_ about a young woman trying to find her birth mother that is similar to what I have planned with Nola. And there's a moth with her name, but other than the wings...

Nestis, poor thing, didn't turn up anything concrete, though I was amused to see several articles on an Olympic athlete which is ironically appropriate for Ness...

* * *

Chapter Six: Advice from the Experts

While the new Guardians had a thrilling adventure in Meridian's version of the Wild West their predecessors... just sort of sat around. And played cards and, of course, chatted to catch up and pass the time until the kids got back.

"I wish I'd thought of this before you did, Will," Irma said as she chose a card from the pile and a fortune cookie from the dish. Will looked at her blankly. "Adoption! It's perfect! No labor, no stretch marks... easy as pie!"

"It's not that easy, Irma," Taranee said as she glanced at her cards; bad hand. "Come Monday morning Will's going to have mounds of paperwork to fill out. I think it would just be as bad as giving birth."

"Hah! You can tell who's the uninitiated at this table! Tell'em, Corny, just what they're missing!"

Cornelia groaned pitifully from her horizontal position on the small couch in the dining room. "Irma, _shut up_. Shut up, shut up, _shut up_. I don't even want to think about that until the drugs are in my veins."

"So that's a 'no' to natural child-birth?"

"Damn right it is! Ingrid alone was bad enough, but with the boys coming... _uhhhhh_..." Yan Lin patted her hand comfortingly.

Will threw a card at Irma. "Hey, last night wasn't all that fun for me, okay? I've got my own marks for Dee, thank you very much." She gestured to the barely visible bruise under her _qipao_'s top and the scratches all over her body.

Irma nodded in sympathy. "I concede the point. Man, and you didn't even get the baby-making boots-knocking we got. Speaking of... now that you've got a kid, why not make it an even set with an honest-to-god _male_? If any kid needs a good father figure, it's your little monster." Will glared at her (both for the "little monster" comment and because she knew where this was going) but Irma just continued. "Hey girls, new project: Get Will Some Loving! Any candidates, cousins, brothers... _heyyyyyy_, Tara, how's Pete these days? Must be lonely being an NBA supersta..."

Taranee's hand of cards began to smoke. "Finish the sentence and _die_, Lair. No offense, Will, but no one's pimping my brother."

Irma mock-gasped. "It's only pimping if someone gets paid and you'd threaten me in front of my _son_? What would _happen_ to my baby without me around?!"

Will smirked at her. "Hay Lin would adopt him and he'd be in heaven. And I don't need... 'boot-knocking'. Not like you do, anyway, ya nympho! I feel sorry for Martin..."

Cassidy laughed as she discarded a card. "Save your pity, Will, he's a _man_. 'Too-much-sex' does not exist in their limited vocabularies."

"Hey, what about me?" Elyon growled. "I run a whole freakin' kingdom and that's real stressful; if anyone needs TLC, it's Elly."

"Don't you have, like, concubines or something?" Irma asked. Elyon gave her an exasperated look. "What? I thought that was one of the perks? I mean, hell, if I was queen..." Even Elyon chuckled with the others as Irma trailed off, not from the implication but from the very idea that Irma would have any man other than Martin Tubbs. It had taken years for her to realize it, though, that being the reason they had married only recently. That, and Officer Lair's good ole reliable biological clock finally ticked too loud.

"See?" Will said as she pointed at the Queen of Meridian. "Nola's the perfect daughter and Elyon's just as deprived as I am!" Elyon stuck her tongue out at her, the immaturity of the action making her thirty-something friends laugh.

"I don't know, Will," Taranee said reluctantly, "Sexual activity is closely related to self-image and that can be important in child-rearing and..."

"Oh, god, here we go..." Irma muttered. "The Return of the Professor."

Whether Taranee didn't notice or just ignored her the others couldn't tell as the psychologist launched into a impromptu but detailed presentation about how Will's lack of 'boot-knocking' might hurt her confidence and other factors that could negatively impact Dee's development. Eyes drooped and heads bobbed until she finished. It was Irma that summed up Taranee's meaning: "So Will needs a man, right?"

Will groaned as Taranee nodded. "A committed relationship would be desirable, but a caring partner would be good even without traditional titles like 'husband' or 'boyfriend'."

Will glared at them with all her might. "Did my mother put you up to this? And... 'Will needs a man'? What, did we Fold into the 1950's or something? I can raise a child _by myself_ just fine, okay? And besides, most men are useless when it comes to parenting."

"Amen," Cornelia agreed groggily. "And I'm very well aware I'm just as useless as Caleb since Will handled Ingrid for me her whole life."

"Don't say that, Cornelia, I just helped out from time to time..."

"Ha! Right... you guys leave Will alone about being a mommy, she's got nothing to be worried about." Will smiled at her so sweetly it bordered on dopey. "But it's going to be different for my boys, I'm a parent one-hundred percent this time."

Hay Lin's eyes lit up as she rocked a sleeping Tom-Tom. "Oh, I have a great idea for a painting!" she whispered. "What you and Irma said about baby-making, Will, makes me think that you _did _give birth to Dee last night." The others, justifiably, stared at her. "Metaphorically, I mean. I'll explain: when you met Dee and took her into your home, that's like when the baby starts in the womb. You fed her with your own food just like Cornelia's doing for the boys and she felt safe with you. Then," Hay Lin paused dramatically. "The labor. The Spider attacks and you go through pain and fear until your baby is born as a Guardian to save you. You bring her here and..."

"Irma sacks her?" Cornelia said with a smirk.

Irma grimaced and glanced at the near-faded marks on her hand. "Her teeth's good, at least."

The artist chuckled weakly. "Er, yes, but that could be the pat on the butt the doctor does, I guess. She gets cleaned up like the baby does and lays down next to her momma..." Hay Lin's eyes glazed over at this, she was so touched. "... so she can meet her new friends the next day. And her Auntie Hay Hay, of course." At Hay Lin's self-reference Tom-Tom murmured, "_Hay Hay_" in his sleep, a testament to the depth of his brain-washing.

Will was close to tears by the end of the description. "That's beautiful, Hay Lin. But how could you fit that all in one painting?"

Hay Lin frowned, then brightened. "Oh, well, it's more like a series, I guess. So, can I use you guys as models? No posing nude, I promise; I have a good imagination."

_Wha-huh? _Wil thought to herself. "Uhm... sure... I'm sure Dee wouldn't mind. Hey, remember when Sarina got us those modeling jobs when we were the kids' age? I thought my mom was going to have a stroke when I told her we'd be in swimsuits!"

Irma furrowed her brow. "As I recollect, she _did_ have a stroke. All our parents did, except Cornelia's."

Cornelia smiled. "I was lucky they had such faith in me."

"Yeah, they must have figured you weren't going to make it with your _brains_, so what the hey?"

Cornelia snarled not unlike an attack dog. "Someone hit her, please?"

Irma grinned smugly, knowing none of her girlfriends wanted to mess with her formidable hand-to-hand skills. She stopped grinning when a rolled-up magazine whacked her on the top of her head. "Ow! What the..."

Yan Lin glowered down at her. "Don't tease the pregnant woman." She hefted the magazine threateningly.

Irma's eyes widened. "Alright, alright, put it away, I'll be nice!" Satisfied, Yan Lin went back over to her friends; Irma's own social circle snickered at her comeuppance. "Oh, whatever! I didn't see you guys swinging a _Cosmo_ in Corny's defense!"

"Poo!" Everyone looked at a now-awake Tom-Tom, who repeated (with surprising emphasis for a year-and-a-half old toddler), "POOOOOO!"

"Potty time!" Irma realized with a start. "Hay Lin..."

"On it!" With the quick-thinking and split-second reflexes that had saved the universe on more than one occasion, Will, Irma, Taranee and Hay Lin all rose from their seats and made for the bathroom. Cornelia tried to rise, then thought better of it.

"Tell me how it goes," she cried out to them, then went back to flipping through her catalog for baby clothes. _Oh, a two-for-the price-of-one sale on booties_! Cornelia was marking the ad with a pen when a Hay Lin-esque cheer went up from the vicinity of the bathroom. Cornelia smiled when she heard Irma drawl proudly, "My boy is now a man."

The expecting mother frowned when she realized that she'd missed Ingrid's potty training much like she'd just missed Tom-Tom's victory just now. Rubbing her stomach gently, she swore to be there for her sons more than she had for her daughter. At least Ingrid hadn't seemed to have suffered too much for her absences, right?

* * *

Dee was feeling much better by the time the convoy was underway again, the regenerative powers of the Heart acting like a panacea for her damaged body. Still, her head swam every time she tried to fly and she was forced to take up Blink's offer; the wagon-master's real name was Vincenzo, Nola informed her, though he hated to be called that as much as Dee loathed Diana. With the wagons full of freight and injured guards (most of which were grey-skinned humanoids with huge arms and Nestis seemingly could not stop staring at them in amazement) the only place Dee could ride was right next to Blink as he drove the lead wagon. 

Blink was thrilled to be sitting next to one of the new Guardians and wasted no time telling Dee that he was once part of the rebellion to restore Elyon onto the throne and fought alongside Ingrid's father and W.I.T.C.H.; he pointed proudly to the red bandanna tied around his left arm which Dee realized was a memorial to those that had died during those dark years. It made sense that Ingrid would wear one herself since her father was _the_ hero of the rebellion, apparently; Blink talked about Caleb as if the man could walk on water.

Blink was even more thrilled to hear Dee was going to be adopted by Will and laughingly told a story of how he had tried to woo her as a teenager and been politely turned down. "At least I got to dance with her once," Blink said jovially. "After that, I didn't care if I got killed the next day, I was as happy as a Passling in a pigpen!"

Dee laughed politely and readjusted her seating so she remained a good three feet from the large man. She shot a look up at the other girls as they flew in sweeping circles around the wagon train; Nestis, still having trouble flying at speeds under seventy miles per hour, was bringing up the rear and facing the way they had came, ready to bring her "big guns" as Dee put it, (_and her powers_, Ingrid had added with a smirk at her friend's magically-enhanced chest) to bear in case more bandits or Torus Leeun's aggressive wildlife made an appearance. More than anything, Dee wanted to be in the air with them right now. She knew why, but didn't admit to herself why this nice man made her... nervous, not afraid.

Just being careful, that's all. He was a big guy, probably didn't know his own strength.

Blink turned his good eye briefly to Dee and noticed how tense she appeared. He continued the one-sided conversation knowing that battle-shock would become worse with silence. "Princess Nola informed that this is your first visit to Meridian, eh? Torus Leeun isn't the best part of the kingdom, mind you, nor the worst either, but it still pales in comparison to Elyon's palace and the Meridian Plains. Ugly as sin in Phobo's day it was, big thorn vines and beasties everywhere but now... just beautiful. My family and I live on the edge of the Plain not far from the palace and I'm sure Jiselle would want to fix you young ladies a meal for saving my life today."

Blink smiled at Dee. "You know, I have a son a little older than you. Good-looking kid, not that bright but that's my fault, I guess..."

Dee swallowed and lied perfectly. "I'm not allowed to date yet. And I'm younger than I look, actually."

"Huh? Oh, blast! I forgot all about that! Guardians grow up when they change, of course!" Blink smacked himself in the forehead, the impact sounding like it would have knocked most men unconscious. "My apologies, Diana, I didn't mean to offend."

"Just Dee, please, and it's cool."

Blink rolled his eye. "'Cool.' I remember when they started saying that word around here, mainly because the Queen used it all the time. Hah! Earth may not know about us, but we sure know a lot about them!" Dee again chuckled politely with him as they rounded a small mesa and the trading post came into view. "Ah, here we are. The building's older than the Lamor itself, but it's never looked prettier than now."

Dee stood up and was pleased to notice her head was all right now; well, as right as it ever was. "Thanks for the ride, Blink. It was nice meeting you." If there was a textbook for done-to-death greetings, Dee felt like she had a cheat sheet to it. Being polite was really hard, the Keeper was discovering; rudeness just came naturally to her.

"Not a problem, young lady; anything for the Guardians. Er, would you tell Will I said 'hello'? I doubt she remembers me, but the eye-patch might help..."

"I will, and I'm sure she does. Later, Blink." She took to the air and was immediately surrounded by the others, almost like they had detected her uneasiness. Or maybe they were just worried about Nestis kicking her butt earlier, who could say? Dee actually hoped it was the latter; the idea of someone being in her head was not something she was entirely comfortable with yet.

"How you feeling, boss?" Ingrid asked tenderly. "You look... hey, did Blink try to set you up with his son? Aha, he did! Y'know, his kid's kinda cute, really..."

Dee frowned at her. "I don't care much for guys..."

"Really? 'Cause I hate to tell you this, but I'm a traditionalist when it comes to that sort of thing. No girl-on-girl for me, no sir. I know, I know, you're heart-broken to be turned down by such a looker, but really, we're practically related which is, by the way, also not one of my things..."

Dee sighed, both aggravated and amused at Ingrid. "That's not what I mean... look, I'm just not interested right now, okay? Lots of stuff is going on even without the Guardian thing. And guys are... weird."

Ingrid waved her hands in defeat. "Okay, but when our little Dee starts to get curious about boys, you know you can come to the expert." Dee stared at her in expectation. "Me, I mean."

Nola shook her head. "If you're such an expert, why does your various trysts last little more than a week?"

Ingrid crossed her arms and pouted. "Hey, so I'm picky, sue me. Maybe if you listened to my advice, you'd have some 'try-ests' of your own. You're a total babe, No-No, but you're such an 'Ice Princess' sometimes."

Nola flipped her hair at Ingrid, mesmerizing Dee and Nestis with the way the light hit it. "Dee is wise to choose to avoid the companionship of young boys, I think. They need so much time to mature it's best to wait. _As do others_."

If Ingrid caught the hint, she didn't show it. "Ah, so you prefer older men, Nollie? Which do you like better: old enough to your dad, or one-foot-in-the-grave old? _'Hey there, little missy, want to party like we did in the eighties_? _Oh, my back'_!'"

Everyone laughed at that, except the person who was asked the question. "Spare me, Ingrid." Nola flew back down to the ground to converse with the trading post staff, who bowed deeply as she touched down.

"Yikes!" Dee exclaimed at Nola's dismissal. "Cold." How was Dee supposed to order this girl to anything? Earlier she had been running on adrenaline and not even realized she was barking orders at these girls; it was like she was a totally different person then, the kind of person who could give an order to Nola and keep her eyes from being scratched out.

Ingrid rapped her fist lightly on Dee's arm. "Don't fret, she's always been like that. I bet when we were babies, No-No took one look at me and dumped her diaper in disapproval." Dee laughed at the image. "Don't worry about it, you'll learn to love her. Nola holds herself to some pretty high standards and gets disappointed when others don't do the same."

"Well..." Dee blinked as she realized something. "Our job's done here, right? Shouldn't we be getting back? It's actually getting pretty dark." The sun (which Dee realized with a start was an entirely different star than the one she had lived under her whole life) was setting over a distant mountain

"Oh, Meridian's a few hours ahead of Heatherfield, anyway. But we have been gone a while, and I think we got some serious practice in with those bandits. Ordinarily, I _like_ to drive my parents crazy, but with Mom's condition..."

Images of Cornelia crying ran through Dee's mind. The _horror_... "Right. Definitely. No crying, no. Hmmm... I think I can Fold us back." She was about to swipe the Heart when she stopped. "We should probably be normal when we go through; I'd hate to put us in the middle of town looking like this. Heh, kinda wish that I could keep the hair."

Ingrid ran her fingers through the strands and _tsk_ed. "That is some seriously sweet hair you have there, Di. Auntie Eye told me about Mom keeping her Guardian body after she changed back a few times; maybe you can do that, too. Hey, everybody, we're going home!"

The Guardians gathered together and flew over the trading post; the guards and the traders gave enthusiastic cheers and a few less-than-appropriate catcalls. Ingrid took particular pleasure in the appreciation of their tight outfits and blew kisses at a lucky few, some of which staggered at the attention they were so pleased. An embarrassed Nestis hid behind Dee, the Keeper's wings flicking lightly against her bangs and nose.

Dee glanced at a small mesa next to the trading post and pointed at it. "Up there looks good. Don't want our admirers to realize they're whistling at thirteen year-old girls when we change back." The girls chuckled at that and followed Dee as she gained altitude.

"I doubt they'd care... you're thirteen?" Ingrid asked. "You don't really look it."

Dee tried to do the math and finally came up with: "Fourteen, actually. I just realized my birthday was a few days ago..."

"Seriously?!" Ingrid asked excitedly. "You're actually the oldest one of us?! Does Will know?" Dee shook her head. "Aw, you really are our baby, only a few days old!" Nola looked faintly amused at this since she wasn't around earlier to hear Will say the same, though both Jamila and Nestis were grinning at Dee's grimace as well. "Someone's getting a _sooonnng_..."

Dee's eyes widened as she came to a stop in mid-air. "Oh, no, no song!"

Ingird grinned evilly as she drifted tauntingly around Dee, switching positions from under her target's feet to hanging upside down with her face next to the Keeper's. "As soon as we get back..."

"No."

"...I'm telling _everyone_..."

"Ingrid, _no_."

"...that it's Dee Dee's birthday..."

"Just Dee!"

"...and she _desperately_ needs to hear the song..."

"_I will kill you_."

"... to show her that we love her so _verrrrrry_ much!"

"Arrrrrrgggghhhh! You're so dead, I've _already_ killed you!" Dee fired a small burst of electricity at Ingrid, who dodged it and laughed as Dee gave hot pursuit. The other three Guardians watched as they flew over the mesa like two dragonflies trying to mate and/or devour each other.

When Jamila and the N's caught up with them Ingrid was standing on the mesa as the shorter Dee clung to her back, an arm hooked around Ingrid's neck and her free hand giving a devastating energy noogee to the taller girl's head. "Yeeow, Sparky, I thought you didn't like girls!?"

"No singing!" Dee shouted in Ingrid's ear. "There will be no singing, you hear me?!"

Nola rolled her eyes. "They're perfect for each other. The Oracle is a being of great wisdom." _Or he has_ _an extremely warped sense of humor_, she silently added. It wouldn't be proper to say it aloud, of course.

Jamila's eyes twinkled like two matches. "This is a beginning of a beautiful friendship." _And a new wrestling partner for Ingrid, thank goodness! I'm free! Free at last! Yessssss! _"They, uh, certainly have a lot in common..."

"Gahhhhh!" Ingrid had managed to get Dee into her arms and was tickling her sides. "Hahahahaha, Ingrid-hahahahahhahahahahah-stop! Hahahah..." Dee's powers were fluctuating wildly and covering the two tickle-combatants in enough static electricity to make their hair stand on end. Each of the other three girls wished they had a camera but settled on their own memories as it seemed likely they'd never forget the sight. Dee finally dropped out of Ingrid's grasp and flopped to the ground out of breath. "Hah... huh... o-kay... huh..."

Hair standing up like a frightened cat, Ingrid placed her hands on her hips and grinned down at her leader. "You're good, new kid, but I'm the still the best."

"Really?" Dee held the Heart up in Ingrid's face; Ingrid's eyes crossed comically as she stared at the talisman. A second later a bright flash of light changed Ingrid back to her normal self; Dee stood and savored the two inches she had on her tickle-tormentor. "Can you do that?"

Ingrid tried to make herself look fierce but found it difficult with the perfection of Dee's Guardian form staring her in the face. "Very smooth, abusing your authority like that."

Dee cupped a hand around her ear. "What's that? The little people are so hard to hear..."

"Oh, you are such a _bitch_!" But Ingrid laughed as she said it. "I told you we'd have a blast together!"

The others set down next to them and Dee again raised the Heart to change them back. From the forms of superhuman warriors the young girls emerged; Dee frowned as she touched her hair. "Damn, it's the same. I tried to keep it..."

Ingrid ruffled Dee's moptop and winked at her self-appointed charge. "I know all the hair stylists at the mall and I got the perfect one for you. Trust me, you're going to look _hot_ when Renae's done with you. Now let's see how you are with Folding, Boss!"

Dee swallowed and gripped the Heart like she had the night before. She tried to envision both the dining room of the _Silver Dragon_ and the people within it and how she created a Fold to send Spider Ho away. Dragging the top of the jewel across the windy air, she felt some minor resistance as it sliced through the quantum particles to make _here_ into _there_. "Well, that's it. Let me go in first, just in case..."

Ingrid slapped her shoulder in a gesture of . "I trust you, Di. Bonzai!" The daredevil of Meridian leapt into the Fold before anyone could stop her.

Nola shook her head. "Always has to be the center of attention, that girl. It's really sort of sad."

Jamila chuckled. "Yeah, but she's good for a laugh."

"If little else." Dee smiled at Nola's stern expression. "What?"

Dee cleared her throat. "Nothing!" Ingrid's arm poked back through the Fold, felt around for a bit before grabbing Dee's elbow, than yanked her through the Fold with a crackle of energy. Dee blinked as she felt the chill of Heatherfield's autumn and immediately knew something was wrong.

"Hate to say it, boss," Ingrid began, "But I think your aim was off." She gestured around at the devastated construction site where Dee had first transformed the previous night. "Ain't this where you fought the Spider?"

"Uh, yeah." The other three girls came through the Fold and it vanished just as they realized they weren't in the restaurant. "I don't know how... oh, crap! I must've picked this place when I was trying to remember how to Fold! I'm sorry, you guys..."

"It's okay," Nestis said. " It was your first time... well, second, but... _ahem_... wow, even if it's a construction site you can tell it's trashed..."

"Oh, no, not you again!" The girls froze in shock, then looked around for the gruff man who had obviously seen them. "Because of you work got delayed for another week, sister! Happy?"

Dee glared at the yellow crane she'd collided with last night. "You talkin' to me, Big Bird? You must be because I'm the only that has to listen to your whining!"

"Ingrid?" Nestis asked the older girl. 'Why is Dee yelling at the construction equipment?"

Ingrid shrugged. "Because he's giving her lip... uh, attitude."

"...oh. Ingrid? Why is the crane _talking back_?"

"Ah, right. Exposition time. You see, with Dee being the Guardian of Quintessence, she kinda animates electronic devices so they come alive, like with Mr. Crane-In-The-Ass here. Only Guardians can hear them, of course... just our luck."

The crane grunted somewhere deep in its engine block and said, "I wished the Spider Chick had ate ya last night, ya brat! Now get out of here before I..."

"Before you _what_, huh?" Dee challenged her verbal combatant. "Newsflash, you big Tonka toy, the key's _not even in your ignition_. Uh, huh, that's right! What you going to do about it, huh?! What you gonna do?! C'mon, guys, let's leave the Little Crane That Can't here with his buddies." Dee began to walk toward the road and the others followed, while being very careful not to get under the wrecking ball.

"For the record," a cement mixer piped in as they walked past it, "none of us like Paulie much, either." Dee gave it a smile and a pat in sympathy.

When they were out of the site Ingrid frowned as she noticed what street they were on. "Geez, we're practically outside of town. You want to try another Fold to Meridian and back again, or should we call for a ride?"

Dee pondered the obvious sensibility of that option against her own fierce pride. It was an even match. "Crap. This Folding's hard... if we got magic powers, why can't we just teleport ourselves from here to there?" She looked at the Heart in her hand and willed it to take them back to the restaurant. When it didn't, she growled and pictured the dining room in her mind. _I just want all five of us to be there and not_...

There was a burst of light, a sharp crackle of energy, and they were gone.

* * *

"I'm just saying, as soon Eric knocks you up you have to quit using yourself as a sticky note. That can't be healthy for you and it won't be for Irma Jr." 

Hay Lin growled at her oldest friend. Being Hay Lin, it was a rather cute growl and not at all threatening; Tom-Tom mimicked her with a gurgly growl of his own as his Auntie whirled on his mother. "Oh, leave me alone, Irma! And don't call it 'knocked up', that's crude! I prefer... 'seeded'."

"...what are you, topsoil? Guys, help me out here. Cornelia, you've been 'seeded' the most, tell her I'm right."

Cornelia looked up from her fashion magazine and shot a weary look at the two. "I hate to admit it, but Irma's got a point, sweetie; you're going to have a whole list of things to avoid when you're carrying. And that definitely means no markers or gel pens against your skin. Right, Will?" When it came to biology, even the all-around ingenious Taranee was outmatched by Will's expertise. "Will?"

Will was staring in the general direction of where the Fold had been. She snapped alert at Cornelia's voice and turned toward the others. "Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Tell Hay Lin not to mark on herself anymore!" Irma implored. "She's making a grocery list on her other arm as we speak!" Hay Lin grumbled something under her breath as tucked her marker away.

"Oh... Hay Lin, don't do that." With that weak order from a once fierce commander, Will went back to staring at the wall.

Everyone looked at Will in confused surprise; Irma grunted and rolled her eyes. "Well, now that we have the expert opinion... I was hoping for details, babe. Babe? Baaaaaaabbbbeeee? And she's out again."

Yan Lin walked over to Will and placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "It's like she took your heart with her, isn't it?" Will smiled weakly and nodded.

"Oh... you miss Dee Dee," Hay Lin realized. "I can't imagine what that's like."

"You'll learn," Irma said softly, gazing at Tom-Tom as he nibbled on her finger.

Will stood up suddenly with a wild look in her eye. "Do you think it's been too long? It's been awhile... Maybe we should try to call them, Taranee, Halinor? Not that I'm freaking or anything, I just need... want to know if Dee's getting along with the others. It's hard being the new girl, you know? I knew-know-that for a fact and I really...""

"Will." Irma said calmly. "If you don't shut up and sit down, I will drop you. Right here, right now. It's what I do for a living, you know. So _sit_, girl."

"I'm not your dog, Irma," Will snapped, but she sat anyway. The mothers in the room could sympathize; the first time a child left your side was always difficult, doubly so with the Guardian position both of them held, and on top of that Will had not even had Dee for a full twenty four hours yet. Those that hadn't had children were still sympathetic but somewhat less patient; Kadma looked like she wanted to bean Will with her walking stick while Cassidy seemed to be enjoying Will's fretting.

After five long seconds, Will shot up again. "But you have to admit it's been hours already..."

Just when it looked like Irma was going to have to drop Will after all, there was flash of five teenage girl-sized lightning bolts above the table and D.J.I.N.N. formed from teleported masses of matter. They fell on the thankfully-cleared table with grunts of pain and startled the former Guardians nearly to death, except for Kadma who had the whole "unflinching nobility" thing down to an art and barely raised an eyebrow as she stated, "They're back."

Ingrid slid off the table and gazed at her surroundings. "Whoa! What was _that_?" Cornelia, now mobile again after being helped up by Elyon, Yan Lin _and _Cassidy, immediately attacked her with motherly concern, hugging her daughter to her large stomach. "Yikes! Mom, not so hard, my bros..."

The other Guardians began to check their successors for damage but they were all in good condition, except for some soreness for hitting the table. Dee was actually lifted off the floor by Will and hugged tightly to her. When Will realized what she was doing, she pulled away and smiled at her kid's confused expression. "Sorry, Dee, got carried away. How in the _heck_ did you guys Tele-Transport just now?"

"Tele-what?" Dee asked as Will put her down. "Was that what that was?"

"Yes, and it is an advanced technique," Yan Lin said, her face paler than Dee remembered. "And for you, a _dangerous_ one. Nola, Ingrid, which of you was it? The others could not have possibly known about it unless you told them."

Freed of Cornelia, Ingrid held her hands up defensively and backed away from the old woman who was one-and-a-half heads shorter than her. "Hey, it wasn't me! We never even brought it up, right Nola?"

Nola nodded. "She is correct, Guardian Lin, we never mentioned it. And not even Ingrid would try something so foolish."

"You see, Nola's... hey! What do you mean, 'not even...'?"

Yan Lin frowned at the new Guardians. "Then how could this have happened? Does anyone have any ideas? Speak up, now, this could be serious."

Dee's first instinct was what she had practiced her entire existence: deny everything and, if possible, blame it on someone she didn't like. But some part of her (the part that desperately wanted this new life) knew that this was her one chance and lies would only destroy it. She gathered her courage to speak and, when that wasn't enough, pinched herself to make it easier to blurt out: "It was me!" Everyone turned to look at her. "I think... I know it was me." She explained everything that had happened once they folded back onto Earth and what she was thinking before she Tele-transported them.

When she was done the elder Guardians looked at each other with worried expressions. Yan Lin asked Dee, "How is it you knew of Tele-Transporting? If no one told you..."

"I don't know! I just wished for us to not have to walk back and we... we were there. Here."

"Did you ask the Heart to do it?" Will suggested. Dee was relieved that she didn't seem angry, just concerned.

"Errrrr... yeah."

The others relaxed visibly. "So the Heart did it," Taranee vocalized for the rest of the group. "That makes sense."

Dee felt relief at her vindication, but then she remembered that the Heart hadn't done anything at first. She pushed the thought down and forced herself to accept Taranee's theory. It was the only thing that made sense, right?

"Oh!" Ingrid exclaimed. "Guess what we did!" The elder Guardians gave her their full attention as she described the bandit attack (mostly focusing on her own exploits) in vivid detail. "...and there were like five guys caught up in my monster cactus and they're like screaming, and screaming... heh, it was great! Oh, and Nessie slammed Dee into a wagon by mistake, but man, she can really blow! I mean..."

"What!?" Will spun Dee around and began to inspect her. "Are you okay? How's your vision? Where does it hurt? Follow my finger with your eyes." Dee could only stare at Will as she freaked out, both touched and a little alarmed. "You're not following my finger, Dee..."

Ingrid reached in and stopped the finger. "She's okay, Auntie Dubya, really. Right after we got to the trading post she practically attacked me for... oh! Almost forgot... Dee's birthday was a few days ago and it was her fourteenth and we really need to sing for her, right guys!?" Ingrid said the last part as fast she could before Dee could stop her.

Dee lunged for Ingrid but was scooped up by Hay Lin and embraced tightly by the squealing adult. "Oh, why didn't you say so?! I would have made you a cake!" Dee smiled as much as she could with her face smashed into Hay Lin's C-cups. Tom-Tom cried out, "DEE DEE!" in gleeful triumph as he _finally_ got his mucus-covered hands in Dee's hair; you wouldn't approved of by Tom-Tom until you were smeared with his snot. "Oh, let me start! _Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you_..."

In a day filled with awkward moments, this was the Big One. Everyone in attendance, including a surprisingly enthusiastic Kadma and a murmuring Tom-Tom, sang along as Dee tried to hide between the toddler and Hay Lin's left boob. When they finished there was applause, though for why Dee had no idea; there wasn't even any cake, after all. "Thanks... I don't really care for much for birthdays, but that was... nice."

"Diana Doe Vandom," Ingrid said as if she were presenting Dee to the others. "Keeper of the Heart of Candracar and Master of the Understatement. C'mon, you know we were awesome, unless you had Karmilla for your last party."

Dee smiled as she realized that no one had ever sang for her on her birthday. Birthdays just weren't celebrated at the orphanage and none of her foster homes had cared enough. "Nope, you were the best, I admit it." _Don't tear up, don't tear up... distract yourself_. "Oh, Will. The guy in charge of the wagons said he knew you when you were kids. Blink, with an eye-patch?"

Will smiled widely. "Oh, yeah, of course I remember Blink. He was a rebel and danced with me one time."

"Did he try to set you up with his son?" Elyon asked. "Ah-hah! I can tell by the look on your face he did! You might want to consider taking him up on that offer, Dee; Gerard is cute and sweet enough for my daughter, but Nola doesn't like him for some reason."

"I have nothing against Gerard," Nola defended. "He is... he is simply too bashful."

Ingrid nodded knowingly. "Won't stop bowing to ya, huh? Kinda hurts your dating prowess when you're every guy's boss; the rest of us have to marry'em first. You know what you need, Nollie? A good-ole fashioned-and good-ole ignorant-Earth boy."

Elyon nodded in agreement. "She has a point, baby. I... I guess that since you're a Guardian now you'll... you're going to stay here with your friends." The queen's eyes began to grow moist. "God, this is harder than I thought..."

"Mother..." Nola embraced her and Elyon's eyes began to pour tears down her cheeks. "I will visit as often as I can. You won't even know I've gone..."

Elyon choked out a laugh. "Smart girl, but still a little dumb. I'll know, trust me." The others were infected by the pair's pain as they realized that Nola was leaving her only parent. "At least you'll have the best people taking care of you... Dee, please look after her for me out there, okay? I know that's not fair of me to ask, but..."

Dee swallowed nervously. "I'll try... if Nola will let me." That got a laugh from everyone.

Still holding her daughter, Elyon turned to Yan Lin. "Thank you for agreeing to take her in, Mrs. Lin."

"It is no problem, dear. Always good to have an extra pair of hands around now that I'm getting older." She patted Nola on the head. "And you have such a sweet child, Elyon, it will be no problem at all."

Elyon rolled her eyes. "It wasn't anything I did, believe me. My parents and Galgheita made her the angel she is." Nola looked regally flustered at this.

"Are you sure you can't stay any longer, Aunt Elly?" Ingrid asked regretfully.

Elyon shook her head. "I wish, but I have to get back. Big state dinner tonight and the Queen simply _must_ make an appearance." She cupped her daughter's cheek and smiled at her. "I won't even ask you to be good, Nollie, because I know you will be." They embraced again and Dee was surprised to see tears on Nola's cheeks; it seemed the Ice Princess was more emotional than she had thought.

When they broke apart the other Guardians all wished her well and gave embraces of her own. With every one of them it was different: Hay Lin and Tom-Tom gave her a dual hug that Taranee found picture worthy; Irma lifted the shorter woman off the floor and spun her around so fast that Elyon shrieked in delight; the Queen rubbed Cornelia's stomach and promised to be there for the birth.

Dee was surprised when Elyon hugged her as well and said, "Welcome to the family, kid. You've lucked out with this one, remember that."

All Dee could say was, "okay."

With a slow, somewhat reluctant sweep of her hand Elyon made a Fold back to her chambers in the Meridian palace. She waved at her daughter who reciprocated as her mother backed into the Fold, wanting to keep her daughter and friends in sight for as long as possible. When she finally vanished the Fold went with her, leaving a profound silence in her wake.

To break the sadness her oldest friend was feeling at the sudden separation, Ingrid did the only thing she could think of but luckily excelled at: say something entirely inappropriate for the situation. "Alright! Now that the Elly-Cat is away, the Nollie-mouse can play!"

Nola groaned good-naturedly as she dried her tears. "Ingrid, you are... ridiculous."

Figuring this was as good a time as any and hoping to change the mood, Hay Lin held up a tired Tom-Tom like he was a prize-winning puppy. "Guess what, girls?! Tom-Tom made his first successful potty! And I got to wipe! Sorry, Irma, I know it's kind of a mom thing..."

"I'll live with it," Irma deadpanned. She loved her boy, but that was one thing she was happy to let Hay Lin monopolize.

Ingrid gave a victory whoop for Tom-Tom's accomplishment. "Hey, way to go, little man! High five!" She held her hand up in front of the child, who slapped his own miniscule palm against hers and said in a whispery voice, "Hi fiiiiiii..." Ingrid kissed him on his cheek and caused him to giggle, then she smirked at her new leader/friend. "Hey, Dee, that reminds me..."

"_Don't even go there_," Dee warned. "You're already on my list."

"No, of course you're house broken, that's not what I was going to say." Actually, that _was_ what she was going to say, but... Dee could throw energy at her, so the smart-aleck remarks had to be used sparingly. "I just wanted to know how long the 'meet-and-greet' with the Collins is going to take, 'cause the girls are coming over to my place tonight to unwind from the pains of homework."

Nola looked at Jamila in stark disbelief. "Ingrid did _schoolwork_?" Jamila just shrugged, basically saying, "It happens."

When Dee asked Will if she could go, her new mother nodded. "Well, Cornelia's house is only a few blocks from my parents'. Maybe about nine, Ingrid? I'd like her to spend the night with us, but... the Guardians are family, too."

"Great! So who's the mom?" Ingrid asked jokingly. "I know Nola's the 'daddy'."

"...so amusing," Nola muttered in a droll voice.

"Ain't I?" Ingrid picked her up from behind. "And I got my 'straight man' with me now! No more scheduling sleep-overs or trips to the mall, no sir! You're all mine, Nollie!" Nollie, dangling in Ingrid's grasp, smiled in surrender.

"Hey, Will?" Dee whispered to Will. "About Ingrid..."

"What's the deal with her?" Will whispered back. "Well, Ingrid is what happens when five women raise one child. She's got Hay Lin's enthusiasm, Irma's sense of humor, Cornelia's confidence and Taranee's curiosity all rolled into one."

"And what did she get from you?"

Will smirked. "A lot of butt-spanking when she broke my furniture."

Ingrid winced at that and rubbed her backside in memory, even while she still held Nola up with her other arm. "The emotional pain was worse, Auntie Dubya. Still say I didn't deserve any of them... well, okay the ones after eight I didn't deserve. Step lightly, Dee... step... _lightly_. Sweet Aunt Will ain't always sweet." Dee raised an eyebrow at Will, who patted her back lightly but with enough force to get the point across: _Walk the line, dear_.

"Ingrid?" Nollie said. "You can put me down now."

Kadma rose to her feet by leaning on her walking stick. "We... I must be going now, Yan Lin; I have gardening to do and my irises are picky about their watering. The meal was delicious, of course."

"Of course!" Yan Lin said with exaggerated huffiness. Dee finally lost the battle and giggled at the old woman.

"And I must return to Candracar to report to the Oracle," Halinor said. "He has asked for an audience at the Guardians' convenience, but I think that the Keeper will require some more time to adjust, of course. I'll try to make the shopping trip tomorrow as well. I think my wardrobe is... a little out-of-date."

Dee realized that Halinor's ensemble looked like something she'd seen in a movie made thirty years ago; Cassidy confirmed this. "Yeah, you look so nineties, Hallie, it _hurts_. Well, I got to make it to the hospital myself," the elder Water Guardian explained as she loaded a carrying case with the leftovers of their feast. "The kids will want to eat before we start movie night; I swear, they seem to know when I'm bringing your food, Yan."

"Be sure to take the candies I have in the kitchen," Yan Lin said, then held up a hand. "Before you go, is there anything you old ladies would like to say to the girls?" All three "old ladies" glared at Yan before turning to D.J.I.N.N., who perked up and tried to pay attention.

Kadma went first. "Your new positions are a great responsibility and honor, but do not become conceited or you will bring disaster on yourselves. I speak from... personal experience." D.J.I.N.N. stared at her in mild alarm.

"That's not _too_ scary, Kads," Irma said sarcastically.

"You are stronger together," Halinor told them, "and your bond will see you through the worst of times, so do not give into fear." This was received a little better.

Cassidy just gripped Nola by the shoulder and said, "Periods are going to be hell-well, more hell than they are already-so you're just going to have to deal with that. Sorry, kiddo."

Nola blinked uncertainly. "Uhm... thank you."

"Think I'll put you down now, Nollie," Ingrid said as she did so, bad images swirling through her brain.

After many more good-byes, C.H.K finally left the restaurant. Ingrid looked at Nola curiously. "Do you think Cassie was talking about a Water Guardian thing?"

Before Nola could respond, Irma led her away by the arm to a corner of the dining room beyond the others hearing and began to quietly explain something; Hay Lin and Nestis listened in with their Air-enhanced hearing and immediately wished they hadn't. Dee's own acute senses caught the word "extra-_extra_-absorbent" and she forced herself to stop; they were some things that even Guardians didn't need to know about each other.

Irma led a more-than-slightly perturbed Nola back to the others. "...and I tell ya, I wanted to break the big O's nose for picking me. But then Halinor told me he wasn't even aware of it because of 'privacy' issues. Which makes sense for a guy that can see anywhere, right? Know what I did do, though?"

Nola was almost too afraid to ask. Almost."What?"

"I just described it to the boss-man next time I saw him. In _detail_." Nola chuckled primly in horror.

"Wait..." Will said. "Was that the time he went into 'meditation' for weeks? Oh, Irma..."

Irma grinned proudly. "Hey, payback is a bee-yotch, and that bee-yotch is _I_! Get it? And Taranee, if you try to correct my grammar I'll strangle you." Taranee made a face that said, "I Was Not Going to Do Any Such Thing!" when even newcomer Dee could tell she was about to do just that.

Dee looked at Will nervously. "Is there anything I should know?"

Will blew out a breath. "Well, you've already started talking to machines, so the only other thing I can think of right now is using electric devices on and in your body." Irma snickered and Ingrid's eyes widened. "I mean things like _hair curlers_ and _electric toothbrushes_, gutter brains! Believe me, Dee, you don't want something in your mouth you can talk to." Irma snickered again. "Lair, I don't care if you do know Kung Fu..."

Irma coughed as she tried to stop thinking bad things. "Sorry, sorry... but you have to admit, your phrasing was a little... oh, hey, Dee, since you seem to be serious about mooching off Will, how about you apply some pressure to Momma to get a man?" Irma ducked behind Cornelia to shamelessly use the carrying mother as an Anti-Vandom Shield.

Dee swallowed. "Uhm, a... man?"

Will, deprived of Irma as a punching bag, instead threw an arm around Dee and shot a dirty look at the police officer. "Just ignore her, kid. We don't need no man, right?"

Dee nodded enthusiastically. "Right, right! Just us girls!" Most of the others laughed at this, except for the observant Yan Lin, Irma and Ingrid who were looking at Dee as she glanced up at Will. The look of relief on her face was... a little too much, though they weren't sure why.

Taranee was the first of W.I.T.C.H. to leave for dinner at her parents' house. "I know how you feel, Will; besides the old biological clock, my parents are wanting grandchildren pretty badly. While we're at the courthouse I may just see if I qualify as well."

"I think you'd be a great mom," Will said, idly punching Irma in the arm as she mouthed "Pete, Pete, Pete..." at Will in an attempt to brainwash her.

Irma rubbed her arm and frowned. "What? It's two single birds with one stone! He's rich and cute and... oh, Taranee, just in case you do adopt, you should remember that for most kids homework is _not _a fun thing." Taranee adjusted her glasses so that she could give Irma a proper glare, right off the rims of her visor-specs; the patented and time-tested "Cook Look of Death". "Yeesh, glad I'm not in your classes. Yeah, I know, I don't have the brains to be in your classes."

It was all Dee could to keep from making a crack at that. _Cops don't need brains, that's why they're cops!_ Man, she _was _a little bitch, after all; might need to work on that. Irma looked square at her as if she could tell what Dee was thinking; Dee quickly slapped on the most oblivious look she could manage. Irma still kept an eye on her as she continued. "Well, we should get going, Miss and Future Miss Vandom. I don't mind being taxi, but I'm supposed to be at Martin's parents' house in an hour. Hay Lin's not the only one who wants to hog my little man."

"I do not hog!" Hay Lin objected. "Do I? Well, anyway, your clothes are ready, WIll."

"Oh, right," Will said, looking down at Hay Lin's dress. "I guess I need to change. If Mom sees the bruise she'll go ballistic; she's probably already on edge about the 'robbery'. Dee? Let's get our story straight: my scratches and cuts were on-the-job injuries from... from a really nasty cat. Got it?"

Dee looked confused, then her face brightened with realization. "Oh. She doesn't know about the Guardian thing, right?"

Will nodded. "Yep. I mean, no. Neither does Dean or Bee. Hmmmm... I think."

Yan Lin raised her eyebrows. "You think?"

Will's expression turned sheepish. "Well, uh... she's so dang _smart_, Mrs. Lin. She was only ten when we gave it up and even then she sorta seemed to know something was going on. You girls have to be real careful to keep your identities a secret, at least on Earth. And _especially_ around Bee. She's... smart."

"Avoid smart people," Ingrid stated, as if it were a commandment. "Check. At least we'll be safe in Sheffield. Don't mean you, Aunt Hay Hay."

"It should not be too difficult to remain discreet on _this_ world," Nola reasoned.

"Oooohhh!" Ingrid hissed in mock-pain. "Planetary prejudice! Where's the love, No-No?"

Nola flushed. "I only meant that Earthlings are prone to distraction. Television, various electronic amusements, shoes... that is all I meant." A pause. "I like Earth, I really do. Especially the shoes."

"And Earth likes you, Nollie. Well, I do."

Irma cleared her throat. "Hate to break up this inter-dimensional friendship fest, but Taxi Driver Irma must be going. Unless Dee's going to Tele-transport us all over town." Mrs. Lin swallowed at that and her usually squinted eyes widened perceptibly. "Just kidding, Mrs. Lin."

Hay Lin ushered Will out of the room to change and promised to bring back leg-warmers and a coat for Dee. Everyone was silent for a moment until Nestis asked, "Mrs. Lin? Who all knows about the Guardians on Earth? I mean, the fact that the Guardians are real, not just legends?"

"Not many, as you would imagine," Yan replied. "My own son and his wife do not know despite Hay Lin and I being Air Guardians for many years, just as Irma's husband does not know of her past occupation. It is safe to say that you will need to keep your Guardianship a secret from everyone who was not a Guardian herself." She patted Tom-Tom on the head as he gazed at her quizzically. "I doubt that Thomas Jr. will recall what he saw here today, but as he grows we must be cautious not reveal our other lives to him."

Jamila looked troubled at this. "You mean, I can't tell my grandmother? About me?"

"That is up to you, dear. I am certain Aqeela can be trusted to keep your secret, but you must understand she will worry about you like mad. She is already very protective of you as it is. Not that I can blame her; I still worry about my little Hay Lin."

Nestis began playing with the ends of her hair and nervously tying small knots in it. "I wouldn't want my mom to know about this. She's already freaky over-protective as it is since... since we got here. She wouldn't let me stay at Ingrid's until I promised to call her on time. I can't imagine what she would think if she'd seen me fighting those bandits."

Yan Lin smiled. "I am sure she would be very proud. Still, parents worry even under normal circumstances and being a Guardian is hardly normal."

Ingrid waved her hand dismissively. "Normal is so _blah_. I prefer being unique any day. Ooh! Chocolate-covered fortune cookies!" She bounced over to the tray and started placing the treats into a napkin. "Gonna save these for later..."

Nola sighed wearily. "If keeping our secret depends on Ingrid's discretion, we may have a problem. She has so little restraint... do not take them all, Ingrid!"

* * *

Author's Note: Aqeela is an Arabic name means that means "gifted with reason" or wise. Lot's of _la _names, huh? I could lie and say it was intentional and an homage to the _ma'_s of W.I.T.C.H. (Wilma, Irma, Kadma), but it's really just an accident. 

Blink is based on an unnamed rebel with an eye-patch that was seen at the beginning of "Ambush at Torus Filney". He has an upcoming appearance in Dark Gossamer Wings that he just told Dee about. Uh, spoiler?

I gotta get some testosterone in this story, all this man-bashing is making me uneasy. I'm even looking forward to the _shopping trip_! Save me from the tide of estrogen! _It tastes like death_!


	7. Driven To Insanity

**Disclaimer:** D.J.I.N.N. is an original concept based on a copyrighted work. Which really doesn't make any sense, when you think about it. That's like getting blood from a stone or urine from an orange or... what was I talking about?

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Driven to Insanity**

"Do you make those cookies often, Mrs. Lin?" Dee asked.

Yan Lin shrugged. "Not too often. Why do you ask?"

Dee looked over at Ingrid and Nola, who were fighting tooth and nail to get the last fortune cookie. "No reason." The two friends stopped fighting when Will and Hay Lin re-entered the room (Nola claimed the cookie when Ingrid was distracted and stuffed it in her jacket), Will wearing her cleaned clothing and Hay Lin holding something behind her back.

"Well, Dee Dee," Hay Lin began. "I think I found some that would look just perfect on you." She held some leg warmers out for Dee's approval. "Are they okay?"

"Oh... they're fine," Dee said as she took the tie-dyed garments. "Very... colorful."

Hay looked thrilled. "Great! I put a lot of thought into a good pair for you! Just imagine the fun we'll have tomorrow at the mall!"

"I... I can't even begin to," Dee said in all honesty.

"Hey, Grid," Irma called to Ingrid, using the nickname her "niece" favored at school; none of the other adults called her that except Irma, and only when she wanted a private talk. "C'mere."

Ingrid gathered up her cookies and walked over to her "aunt", noting that Irma was standing well away from the others. Though she knew this was likely serious, she couldn't help but say, "If you're going to tell me anything like you did Nollie, Auntie Eye, I'm going to run now."

Irma shook her head. "Nothing like that, I promise. I just want to get your impressions of Will's new kid, especially since you just had your first tour of duty. All I know about Dee is she's full of fight and got a hell of a bite."

Ingrid grinned at the rhyme even as she realized that Irma was being dead-serious. Both of the I's shared a similar sense of what separated work and play, albeit it being a very thin line at times. If Cornelia had given her form and Will given her care, Irma had gave Ingrid her spirit; Irma privately considered this the ultimate revenge in the decades-long Corny-Irmie War, even if she was losing the Battle of the Tom-Tom.

Ingrid cracked open a fortune cookie as she began. "Well, Guardian-wise, she's pretty good. Got the skills down fast, even comfortable giving orders despite saying she only led 'cookie raids' prior. Out of the tights, though... I hate to say it, but I think she's... man-shy." Ingrid popped half of the cookie in her mouth and dared a quick glance at Dee, who was modeling the leg-warmers for the others.

"Go on," Irma urged.

"Well... first off, I don't mean Nestis man-shy, I mean _she-should-schedule-sessions-with-Aunt Tee Tee man-shy_. I mean, I was flying above her as she rode with Blink and she was practically hanging on the edge of the wagon trying to stay away from him. From _Blink_. Blink, who's the biggest teddy bear with young girls I've ever seen, even more than Dad."

Irma winced. "Yeah, that's what I thought, too. I guess I hoped I was imagining things, but hearing you say it..."

"I don't think Dee would do anything to hurt Will," Ingrid said quickly. "It's love at first sight for those two, I'm sure of it. I mean, if Dee were ten years older I'd _really _be wonderin' about Aunt Dubya branching out in her dating criteria."

Irma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I admit it's good to see Will this enthusiastic about someone outside our circle, but I can't help but think, why would a kid run away and _keep_ running for a year? I really doubt it was for being grounded too often. Look, I can tell you've already nominated yourself as the 'Big Sister'..."

"Just like you did for Hay Lin and Will all those _many_ years ago?" Ingrid suggested with a grin.

Irma merely grunted at the age-jab. "Yeah, whatever. But listen, Mud Pie, this girl... every instinct I have as a Guardian, a cop, and a woman is screaming that Dee has bad history that's going to bite her hard before it lets go. If you could look out for her a little bit..."

"Say no more, Officer," Ingrid assured her. "I've got her back. Besides, I _like_ this chick. I've finally found someone as crazy as me!"

Irma smirked at that. "I sincerely doubt that." She gave the tall girl a strong hug. "See ya when I see ya, Grid."

Ingrid returned the hug and lifted the woman off the floor. "I'll see ya if you don't shrink away, Auntie Eye! You're getting smaller, looks like."

"Ha ha. Put me down, wise girl, before I arrest you." When Ingrid complied Irma reached out and took her once-again sleeping son from a reluctant Hay Lin. "So, _Hay Hay_, how long do you figure he'll be out?"

"About twenty minutes," Hay Lin estimated. "Oh, he's going to cry, I know it; I'm sorry, Irma, I spoil him too much."

Irma silently agreed with this, but instead she said, "Ah, that's what god-moms are for. I should have him home with Marty before then. Will? Ready?"

"Just about." Will was tugging on a coat she was borrowing from Hay Lin while Nestis helped Dee adjust her leg-warmers and blue-jean jacket decorated with the five symbols that were on Hay Lin's hair scrunchies. "Y'know, Mom still has all my old clothes from when I was your size, Dee; you'll have a whole wardrobe before we even go shopping tomorrow."

"Hope you like frogs!" Ingrid chimed in (quietly, so as to not wake Tom-Tom). "Aunt Will has a serious thing for the little green guys."

Dee grinned as she remembered Will's underwear. "I noticed. And I really don't need a lot of clothes, I don't care about fashion or..." Cornelia gasped in horror. "What? What did I say?!" _Please don't break your water or whatever_...

Instead of delivering her twins early, Cornelia just gave Dee a pitying look. "You poor, poor thing..."

"Ignore her," Will said with exaggerated exasperation. "For Cornelia, fashion is a way of life. _Is _life. It's like her oxygen."

Cornelia scoffed and gently placed a hand on Dee's head as if anointing her. "Don't worry, Diana, I promise I won't let you go the way of Will with her novelty shirts and ripped jeans." She shot a pitying glance at Will, who just smirked and idly fingered a hole near one of her belt loops.

Dee swallowed, unnerved by being so near the Pregnant Lady again. "Uh... just Dee. Please."

Hay Lin chuckled. "Guess what Will's wearing under her clothes right now? Those froggy panties I got her at that store in Florida!" Will grimaced disapprovingly at Hay Lin.

Irma cocked her head and smiled slyly. "Oh, yeaaaaahhh, I remember... the one with the frog _playing the guitar_?" The other women looked at Will knowingly while Will herself glared back at them.

The girls were totally lost at this exchange, though Ingrid looked like she was searching her memory for something. She then smirked as she realized she had nearly missed her "cue." "Well, I'm wearing only a bra myself. What's your undies, Nollie? I'm guessing granny pants?"

Nollie glanced at Ingrid condescendingly. "You no longer unnerve me, my old friend. And they are Earth-style bikini briefs, for your information; cotton and white."

Ingrid looked impressed at her candor. "Yeah, you're building a resistance to me by now. Jamila, Nestis, what have you got over your booties?" The two girls looked shocked and appalled at this, exactly what Ingrid wanted. "Hee hee... Dee, how about ..."

Dee smirked, then grabbed the edges of her skirt and pulled them up until all and sundry could see her scrunched-up boxer briefs. There were a few seconds of stunned silence until Ingrid chuckled. "Not too shy, apparently. You're not going to do that in public, are you?" Dee seemed to consider this.

"Please don't," Will said pleadingly, causing Dee to chuckle as she dropped the skirt. "Well, I'll see you all tomorrow. The dinner was great, Mrs. Lin, as always. Sorry for causing you so much trouble last night, I should have been able to handle it, but..." Will looked at her hands helplessly. Her friends shot sympathetic glances at her that Dee found annoying; it was like they saw Will as weaker for some reason. That just did not sit well with Dee.

Yan Lin, however, took Will's empty hands into her own. "I am just glad you are safe, my dear. We are all family, we take care of each other. Remember when you helped me clean out the attic last week?"

"That's not really the same thing..."

"Ha! You get my age, you try lifting a chair!" She turned Will around and whacked her lightly on the butt with the magazine used previously on Irma, causing everyone to laugh. "Now get going! Dee needs to meet her new grandparents so they can start spoiling her!" Yan patted Dee on the shoulder. "Don't be afraid to let them see the new flower they have been given the privilege of supporting, Keeper."

"Yes, ma'am," Dee said awkwardly. Were they always going to be this sappy? Dee liked a little sappy, but too much and she could drown in it.

Ingrid swooped in and caught Dee in a grab similar to the one she'd used earlier on Nola. "You'll like Dean and Susan, really! Susie acts like she's a tough chick, but don't let her scare you! Just keep giving Will the 'doe' eyes you've been wearing all afternoon and you'll be in like Flynn!"

Dee tried to glare at Ingrid, which was difficult considering her face was behind Dee's head; she felt a sudden kinship with Will since her new friend was hassling her, too. "'Doe'? What are you going on about, Paulina Bunyan?"

The nickname just made the Earth Guardian laugh. "Deny, deny, deny all you like, but we knows DeeDee wuvs her new mommy Willie Will!" Ingrid made kissy noises behind Dee's ears.

Dee looked at Yan Lin. "Would it be wrong to shock her a little? Just a _little_?"

Yan Lin thought about it a second. "Probably, but I doubt it affect her behavior, anyhow. This, however..." She brought up the magazine so Ingrid could see it, the crispness of the motion suggesting long practice and practically begged for a sound effect like a drawn sword. Ingrid quickly set Dee down and backed away with a too-wide smile on her face, apparently trained to obey when the Magazine popped up like a hyperactive dog getting whacked by a newspaper.

"Ow!" Long pony-tail thrown in front of her, Hay Lin growled as she began to remove her scrunchies. "Remind to get my hair conditioned tomorrow at the salon, it's so...urgh!" She yanked the last ornament off and and began picking her ebon hairs out of the straps. "Here, I want you girls to have these. Each of these symbols represent an Auramere... a floating orb thingy... they have those in Candracar that sends you your power now that you're Guardians." She handed one to each of D.J.I.N.N. "I made them myself!"

"Thanks, Auntie Hay!" Ingrid said as she slipped her new accessory (the symbol a green circle with a dot inside it) on her wrist; she had settled for that spot after realizing it wouldn't fit comfortably around her head. Nola bowed graciously as she took hers, a deep blue symbol that looked like a stylized check mark; Nestis held hers next to Nola's and compared her light-blue C-shape to the princesses'. Jamila's was a red triangle with the left edge left open that she gave an approving nod to, as if the symbol spoke to her.

Dee, however, was a little thrown by her own scrunchy with its bright pink shapes that resembled two stretched-out commas on top of each other; they looked like fat tadpoles in strawberry Kool-Aid to her, but Dee wisely chose to keep this to herself.

She had first seen the scrunchies last night but was now able to appreciate just how well made they were. The raised auramere symbols were on small metal disks that had three green-and-purple bead-covered bands that wrapped around their small wrists comfortably yet were able to stretch enough almost entirely around Ingrid's noggin. Even if it was pink as Pepto-Bismol, Dee had to admit it was good work. "This is really sweet, Hay Lin. Do you make a lot of stuff like this?"

Ingrid shook her head as if Dee had asked a silly question. "Does Unka Blunk stink? Aunt Hay is the master of arts and crafts. Just wait until you get into her classroom."

Hay Lin patted Ingrid's head in a gesture very similar to her grandmother. "Oh, such a kiss-up! Are you going to come to school Monday, Dee? I figured that you'd need to go with Will to the courthouse to sign papers." Dee just shrugged to indicate her cluelessness.

"Well," Taranee began. "I'm fuzzy on the particulars, but I think Dee won't have to sign anything right away. But if she does, my sessions end at two, so I can pick up her up..."

"And us!" Ingrid added. "If Dee has to face Judge Cook, she's not doing it alone."

Taranee rolled her eyes. "She's not that bad, Ingrid. It's not like Dee's a juvenile delinquent or anything." Will, Irma, Dee and Hay Lin all started staring at or doing things that kept them from looking the others in the eye. "Uh... is there something we need to know?"

"No," Irma said firmly. "There isn't." She said this in her cop voice that made it clear that there truly wasn't and no one was to inquire further; _move along, nothing to see here_. "Anyway, let's go already before my baby boy wakes up. I'll be in the car. Bye, guys." Waving goodbye with her free hand, the police officer/disc jockey/mom left the dining room.

"Remember, Miss Doe," Ingrid advised. "'_Doe_' eyes. Like a deer, a female deer-yeowch!" Nola had punched her in the shoulder. "Nola, that was so... so _common_ of you!"

"Better leave now," Jamila warned Dee and Will. "I think they're about to go at it again."

"Can't Mrs. Lin stop them?" Dee asked. "With, y'know, the Magazine?"

"Actually," Will said, "I think she kind of likes to watch them fight... whoop, there they go!" The two life-long friends were indeed going at it again, as if making up for lost time since their last visit.

"Have fun, Dee!" Cornelia said as she watched Ingrid wrestle with her best friend's daughter, thinking to herself that Ingrid certainly took after her father and Nola had a fair amount of Elyon in her, whether the princess admitted it to herself or not.

"And try not to set anything on fire!" Ingrid said from the headlock Nola had put her in. "I did that once and Susie still gets nervous every time I come over. _Urk_! Honestly, I was just a kid at the... oh, wait, that was Thanksgiving last year. Time flies... _gag_! Ease up, Princess!"

"Nothing's going to catch on fire," Will said resolutely, then added under her breath, "I hope." With Guardians, you just never knew.

The girls and Hay Lin escorted Will and Dee to Irma's car like they were visiting royalty, but Hay Lin insisted on stopping them in the hallway. "Check this out, girls! I call it 'Meridian Dawn!' I painted it when I was your age." D.J.I.N.N. moved closer to examine the painting to see a depiction of a younger W.I.T.C.H. in their Guardian forms fighting a large creature that had a snake-like lower body, much like the Spider Ho was half spider. A large dark castle loomed in the background and contrasted with the luminous light behind the Guardians.

Jamila shook her head. "I've seen this so many times, but I still didn't remember the uniforms when we saw them after dinner."

"That's Nola's castle right there!" Ingrid pointed out. "Awesome, isn't it? It even has toilets which, in Meridian, is a big deal. And that snake guy is _Lord_ Cedric, one of the biggest mistakes of evolution there ever was. He was Phobos' right hand lizard that turned on him and swallowed him up only to spit him out thanks to W.I.T.C.H. I'd say look out for him, but he finally got his and believe me... it was _messy_. Dad says he actually felt sorry for ol' Ric."

Dee squinted at the watercolor monster. "Those _ears_... they kinda remind of the spider woman. Maybe they're related? No, that's not possible... is it?"

Ingrid shrugged as the Guardians moved on. "Maybe, maybe not. We'll ask Spidey when we meet up with her next... right before we kick her web-spinning butt!"

As they walked through the now-busy restaurant, Hay Lin waved to a middle-aged man with classes tending the register. "Hey, Dad! This is Dee! She's gotta go! Say bye, Dee!"

"Bye Dee!" D.J.I.N.N. said, then burst out laughing. Will half-heartedly glared at them for being left out of the loop again; Hay Lin's father looked confused but gave a friendly smile as he waved back.

They left the restaurant and headed toward the parking garage a block away, Ingrid talking the whole way about Heatherfield and the Sheffield Institute. "...our school mascot is a pumpkin because the whole place was built on a pumpkin patch! Not very original and totally lame looking on our merchandise, but we have some really great Halloween carnivals, like the one we're having in a few days. Oh, that reminds me of an old W.I.T.C.H. story... oh, we're here? Already? Sucks."

"_Shhhhhh_," Irma said from the driver's side window. "Don't wake Thomas, _and_ _do not_ _even think about saying her name_." She was pointing at a bashful Hay Lin, who was waving goodbye at her biggest little admirer despite him being asleep. Tom-Tom was in his car seat in the middle of the back seat, drooling all over his belt buckle in his slumber; Nestis gave an curious "awwww" at the sight, like drool was just adorable or something. _Well_, Dee thought to herself, _it kinda is_... _as long as it's not on me..._

Dee turned to her new friends and, well, squad mates, she guessed. "I'll see you guys tonight, I guess. It... it was... I don't know what to say..." Fears were racing around inside her that she couldn't give voice to; were they really her friends or was it was just because of the Guardian thing? Would Will's family be able to stand her? Was this just one good day before things went back to the usual nightmare that was life?

"We understand, Dee," Nola assured her, discreetly elbowing Ingrid in the arm before she could spout off anything foolish. "Take things as slowly as you can; I cannot even imagine what it must be like to be entering a new life."

"You did great today," Jamila said. "After fighting off some blood-thirsty bandits, new grandparents should be easy." Dee chuckled weakly, already nostalgic for the bandits.

"Good luck, Dee," Nestis said encouragingly. "I'm, uh... still sorry about... earlier. The wagon and all..."

Dee smiled and put her hand on the Air Guardian's shoulder. "Nestis... get over it. I have a feeling that's not going to be the last time we accidentally beat the crap out of each other." Nestis smiled back and then hugged Dee tightly. "Uh... sure... thanks..."

"Hey, Di?" Ingrid said in an unusually serious tone. "Doe-y eye jokes aside, just try to understand what Will's parents are going through right now, okay? They'll adore you in no time, but don't be surprised if they're a little wary at first. Doesn't mean they don't like you, they just don't know you." Dee looked at her like she'd gone insane or, considering how Ingrid had acted since they met earlier, sane. "What? Just remember that and you'll be fine."

Dee nodded. "Okay. Thanks. I'll... try to be nice." Will got in the passenger side of the car and Dee opened the door to the back; they shut the doors as quietly as possible as to not wake Tom-Tom. Dee waved at the other four Guardians as Irma pulled away, already feeling their absence keenly even though they were waving back at her.

Ingrid sighed as the car left the garage. "There she goes, our new baby, off to Grandma's house for some really awkward moments."

Nestis looked at her in alarm. "What do you mean? Is something wrong with Will's parents? Will they not like her?"

"Naw, they're good people; Professor Dean's going to love her, he loves everybody. Beatrice, too. But Susan? I don't think she's going to be too thrilled with this development."

"You mean with Diana," Nola stated. "Which is why you warned her just now?"

"But Mrs. Collins has always been nice to me," Jamila said. "Why should she be any different with Dee?"

"Because you..." Ingrid answered smartly, "weren't Will's new adoptee. Look, I know Will's family as well as my own, so believe me when I say that Susan is super-protective of Aunt Will. Now, we have this street kid that comes from Oracle Knows Where, but Will is already uber-attached to her and she's not even signed a single paper to make her a legal relation. I'd bet my cute booty that Susan is going to give Dee the third-degree as soon as she can. I just hope our boss doesn't counter-attack or blow up."

Nola leaned over the concrete partition of the parking garage and gazed at Irma's car as it glided out of sight. "She seemed like a relatively calm person to me, Ingrid; well, at least compared to yourself. She's a little... damaged, but nothing too serious, I think. Do you honestly think she could be holding that much anger within?"

Ingrid said nothing which, for someone like Ingrid, said everything.

Conversation in Irma's car was muted so that Tom-Tom would not be disturbed; the greater the distance from Hay Lin, the more his mother wanted him unconscious. Dee, sitting very quietly next to the dozing infant, merely listened in as the two adults talked; she had distantly noted it had been over a year since she had ridden in a vehicle like this, not counting the rides she had gotten on garbage trucks and other unusual forms of transit.

And in the car of an officer of the law, too, one who may soon be as good as an aunt to her. Pure irony.

"So you've got the night off?" Will asked Officer Lair.

Irma shrugged as she kept her eyes on the road. "Yeah, they're doing a "Best of Lair On The Air" deal. Apparently, I have to take vacation time because they can't afford to pay me for every weekend, even if I only work at night. Uh, that didn't come out right..."

"You're a top-dollar woman!" Will joked. "We always knew you'd be one day!" Irma took a hand off the wheel and lightly popped Will in the arm with the bottom of her fist. "Ow!"

"Wuss. When's the last time I got you into the gym for some self-defense lessons?"

"Well, gee, I dunno. Just let me check the receipts from the hospital..."

"Double-wuss." Officer Lair was quiet for a moment. "Hmmm... remember how you said we should work with the girls? I could probably teach'em a few things about close-quarters fighting, maybe a few tips about getting loose from tentacles and tendrils and crap 'cause that was always a problem. Not that I need to educate Ingrid, her dad's already... you're staring at me, I can tell. I have Cop-Vision."

Will smirked and pointed at her accusingly. "You're getting into this, aren't you? The whole mentoring thing? Just like you did with Nola just now."

"That was a Water Guardian deal; _or_deal is more like it." Irma paused. "It's not like I haven't worked with kids before, it's just... I don't miss it like it's on my mind a lot, but we know there's so much more out there, you know? I mean, we all quit so we could go on with our lives and God knows I wouldn't pick the old wings over my two boys, but... it's like what I learned back then is just being wasted sitting here in my mind next to grocery lists and the songs from those inane shows Tommy watches on _Nick Jr_. Alright, you win, I want to mentor. Happy?"

"Ecstatic!" Will chuckled and looked back at Dee. "I just hope our pupils will want to listen to old ladies like us."

Dee smiled so wide it hurt. "Oh, of course! You were great at teaching me to fly, Will. I can't wait to learn more Guardian moves!" _So I can fricassee that Spider the next time I see her_...

Irma looked in the rear view mirror at Dee, her quirked eyebrow making her look like she had forgotten the girl was there; likely she was trying very hard to, Dee thought. "Will can teach you about bringing things to life and throwing fireworks, but when it comes to fighting you'll learn from _me_. Is that going to be a problem?"

Dee didn't answer right away, making Will slightly nervous until she said, "No problem, _Officer_, as long as you have something to teach; I know a few things myself."

Irma and Will both looked like they wanted to know more about that, but at that moment Tom-Tom's nose began to twitch. The tyke began to take in deep breaths until a small sneeze sent a spray of snot flying between the seats and his eyes popped open. The last thing he remembered was being rocked to be sleep by his Hay Hay. He looked around and his developing brain quickly ascertained that there was no Hay Hay in sight. Just the Mommy Lady, Red-haired Lady, Dee Dee and the girl that was wearing Dee Dee around her neck.

But no Hay Hay... NO HAY HAY!? NOOOOOO! "_Sniff_, _sniff_... _Waaaaa-haaaa_-_haaaaaaa_! _Boohoohoohoohoo_! Hay Hay, ah wah Hay Hay, ah wah Hay Haaaaaaaay! Hay-_Haaaaaaaayyyyyy_!"

Irma groaned like the damned. "Oh, I want to kill her _so_ badly sometimes. I get her first kid, okay? Just so she knows what this feels like. By the frikkin' Heart of Candracar, I swear I'm going to be 'Auntie Irmie' before I die. I'll threaten to shoot Eric if I have to."

Will was trying valiantly to distract Tom-Tom with little success. "Hey, Tommy, it's Aunt Will! Reddy-Headdy Will? Remember the puppy dogs? The woof woofs! Oh, we loved the woof woofs, didn't we!? Didn't we..."

The woof woofs weren't good enough. "_Wahhhhhhh-Hay Hay_!"

"There's some toys in the glove department," Irma said in a resigned voice, knowing that nothing was going to keep her child from venting his Hay Hay separation. "Oh, man... I knew I should've brought Leafy along, that stuffed turtle is the only thing that can calm him down."

Will was digging madly in the glove department when Irma obeyed a stop sign and noticed a sudden silence devoid of crying. She looked in the rear view mirror and saw Tom-Tom staring at Dee through teary eyes. Irma's hackles raised when she realized Dee was making a menacing face at her baby. "Hey, what the hell do you..."

Then Dee's expression changed as she dropped the angry look and stuck her tongue out to touch her nose with the pink slip of flesh. Her eyes crossed and she put her fingers behind her ears to waggle them, making an extremely silly face at Tom-Tom.

The toddler stared at her for several seconds, then burst out in gleeful laughter at the funny-face girl. As Irma watched in disbelief, Dee dropped the expression and gently wiped away Tom-Tom's tears. For her next trick, she made a big show of her thumb so that Tom-Tom would focus on it; she then did the time-tested "Disappearing Thumb" trick and Tom-Tom went nuts. "Hee hee hee, Dee Dee!"

"I can never do that," Will noted absently. "The thumb thing, I mean." Dee followed this by pointing at Tom-Tom's shirt until the tot was investigating the spot heavily, then she gently clucked his nose with her finger. Tom-Tom was stunned at first before giggling again at being tricked.

Will and Irma stared dumb-founded at Dee as she entertained the youngster. Dee sheepishly explained, "I'm pretty good with babies and little kids. We had a few of them at the orphanage and they were easier to deal with." She looked down as Tom-Tom put his finger on her shirt and jabbered something; he then lifted his pudgy hand and bopped her on the chin. "_Gasp_! Oh, ya got me!"

"Gaht Dee Dee, hee hee!"

Dee looked at Irma with her own quirked eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be watching the road? _Officer_?" Irma frowned sourly at her while Will gave a nervous smile as she thought, _One big happy Guardian family, alright_.

A few minutes later they were pulling onto the block where the Collins lived. Taking in the neighborhood as Tom-Tom fiddled with her Auramere bracelet, Dee commented, "Nice 'burb."

"It is, isn't it?" Will said. "Mom, Dean and I moved here over fifteen years ago into the house Elyon's parents lived in while she was on Earth, and Cornelia moved into our old math teacher's home after she got married a few years later. Actually me, Taranee and Irma all lived with Cornelia and Caleb for a while during college."

"All of you?" Dee asked as squeezed a squeaky toy of a smiling butterfly for Tom-Tom, who had quickly gotten bored with the bracelet; he snatched it away and began hitting her in the head with the rubber insect: _squeak, squeak, squeak_... "Living with a guy and his wife?"

"It sounds weird, I know, but you have to realize we'd been through so much with Caleb he's like a brother to us; he stayed at Hay Lin's for years before that." Will shook her head slowly. "It was really sad when we all moved out; if you think Tom-Tom was bad just now, you should have seen Ingrid going nuts about us leaving."

"'_Us_', she says," Irma said with a knowing smirk as the Collins' homestead appeared down the street. "It wasn't _my_ leg she was attached to... well, well. Looks like they're throwing out the welcome mat for you, Dee."

Dee and Will leaned forward in their seats for a better look and immediately noticed the large banner strung along the front porch that said WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, DIANA! "That's gotta be Dean's doing," Will speculated. "He's pretty good with decorations." The sign was so eye-catching that Dee didn't immediately notice the three people standing on the porch until they were in the driveway.

The man had dirty blonde hair streaked with gray and a matching bushy mustache below his kind blue eyes; this was Dean Collins, obviously, the only man of the immediate family. The woman whose shoulders his arm was around was the visual opposite of her husband with long dark hair going gray at the roots and the brown skin and eyes that were the only obvious resemblance to Will. She wasn't as enthusiastic as Dean but Ingrid had warned Dee about this; the newly-appointed Keeper couldn't blame her, really. Hell, it wasn't as if Dee would have wanted someone like herself brought into her family.

The teenage girl who had to be Beatrice Bathilda Collins was definitely her father's daughter with the same shade of blonde hair that traveled down her back in a long pony-tail like Hay Lin's. (_What was it with all the long hair, anyway? What was so great about it?_) Unlike Hay Lin's smooth tresses, Beatrice's had stray hairs sticking out all along the pony-tail and the broom-head ending that hung just above her backside gave the impression that the long hair was just an afterthought than any real style, if the thick bangs and ear-concealing tufts of hair weren't already a dead give-away.

The small glasses on the edge of her freckled nose and her thin build further indicated that this was a girl who was more into books than appearance, though Dee could tell she was actually pretty underneath with the same skin tone Will possessed and her father's eyes.

As the car parked the three started toward them, causing Dee to feel ridiculous panic she tried to dismiss. Tom-Tom picked up on her distress and looked out the window. "Bee Bee!"

Beatrice smiled and waved through the glass. "Hey, Tommy!" she said in a muffled but pleasant voice. "How are you?"

"Gaht Dee Dee, Bee Bee, ha ha!" He was still proud of that, apparently.

Will was practically yanked out of the car by Susan and embraced tightly. "Oh, baby, I was so scared when you called this morning! How could this have happened, your neighborhood was supposed to be safe..."

"Mom, it was a freak thing," Will tried to reason with her mother as her chin hung over her parent's shoulder. "Someone was on the fire escape and picked my apartment because of the fancy doors. When they saw I was home they ran off."

"I guess they heard about the lasagna?" Dean said jokingly. Will swatted at him and the Collins laughed the easy laughter that Dee had rarely heard until the dinner earlier. It was the sound of people who had lived with one another; not just in the same house, but actually lived their lives together.

"Hey, Dee liked it!" True, she was half-starved at the time... "That's right; Dee, come on out!"

Dee hunkered next to Tom-Tom as she considered her options, Tele-Transportation on the top of the list. When she noticed that Lair was looking at her with mild amusement and curiosity, Dee shot her the most insolent look she could muster and got out of the car.

She imagined she looked pretty weird to the Collins with her boyish haircut, skinny limbs, bright outfit and the leg-warmers. Oh, lord, the leg-warmers... "Hi," she said, then added reflexively, "These are Hay Lin's clothes, she let me borrow them." Will raised her eyebrows but the Collins just nodded and smiled, like it was the perfect explanation.

Beatrice was a hugger, Dee learned that pretty quickly. "It's great to meet you, Dee!" Bee said as he mashed Dee almost as hard as Susan had squashed her daughter. "I've been wanting someone new in the family, but Mom and Dad won't acquiesce!" Dee looked horrified. "Oh, no, no, they won't give in, that's what I meant! Sorry, I do that a lot."

"Bee's really smart," Will explained. "Even in math. She gets it from Dean, obviously." Susan glared at Will. "C'mon, Mom, lighten up! You know we can't even do change. Oh, I've already told Dee all about you guys so I don't think we need introductions."

Irma popped her head out of the car's sun roof. "Gotta run, ya'll. As soon as I pull out he's going to start screaming again, so I need to make good time to the grandparents' house before I go deaf." Bee leaned over and waved "Bye Bye" to Tom-Tom. The toddler immediately realized what was happening and began to whimper and tear up.

With quick thinking that rivaled her battle plan against the bandits, Dee ducked into the car and grabbed a small electronic toy that uttered the noise of whatever animal picture one pressed on it. She handed it to Tom-Tom and gently made his little hand press the cow. Halfway through the "_moo_" she pressed the chicken, turning it into a "_moo-buck-buck-buck_!" Tom-Tom caught on and began pressing the animal buttons on his own, creating an orchestra of mixed cries mixed with his own squeals of delight.

Dee pulled back when she was sure Tom-Tom was distracted and gently closed the car door. Irma pulled out slowly and started down the street, Tom-Tom still slamming buttons like a mad pianist. Dee didn't realize the others were staring at her until Will said, "Dee's good with younger kids, she played with them at the orphanage."

"So she has no parents?" Susan asked while looking at Dee. It wasn't a hostile expression, but it wasn't too inviting, either. It was like, _who are you_,_ tell me right now_... _please_. Though she had never been to one, Dee wondered if that was the look Susan reserved for job interviewees. _And me without my résumé_...

Resolving to thank Ingrid later for warning her, Dee shrugged and said, "They never told me if I did or not. If you were at at Saint Gnone's you knew there was no one for you." Dee said this with no self-pity or even remorse in her voice; it was just one of the facts of life you learned while you were at the orphanage and Dee had been there as long as she could remember.

"Look, Mom," Will said with a determined expression, "Before you start interrogating her, I've already talked things over with Irma and Taranee and they both think Dee's a good kid who's had a hard time. It's what Taranee does for a living, dealing with kids, and you _know_ how Irma is these days. There's no reason to think that I won't get custody of Dee, so as of right now she _is_ family, no arguing about it."

Susan looked surprised at this. "So... I just have to live with it, right? Nothing's changing your mind?"

"Not a thing." Will stared Susan straight in the eye as she said it, the older woman returning the gaze like some sort of adult staring contest.

Dee was terrified she was going to be the cause of a schism in the Collins family and was greatly relieved when Susan smiled. "Well, you're certainly fierce enough to be a mother. Alright, I'm convinced; Diana, you're one of us now. Just be sure to listen to Will and we'll have no problems, alright?"

Dee was so grateful she forgot to correct Susan's use of her name. "Yes, ma'am, I will!"

"Let's go inside to talk," Dean suggested. "We've got some lemonade made if you're thirsty, Dee. It's Dee, right?"

Dee nodded gratefully. "Yes, please. I mean, the name. And the lemonade. Both. Both of them are good... I like lemonade!" The Collins stared at her again. "Hah, hah... uh..."

Will put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Dee just met the rest of the crew, so she's a little overwhelmed. I mean, Ingrid alone..."

Bee laughed so hard her glasses nearly slid off. "Oh no, Ingrid?! That would unnerve anybody. I guess she met Jamila and that new girl Nestis, too?"

"Yep, and Nola, who's going to be staying at the Lins while Elyon is on her art tour. Which reminds me: to celebrate Cornelia's homecoming and Dee's arrival, we're going to have a huge shopping trip to the mall tomorrow, girls only. Sorry, Dean."

The man among women smiled. "I'll survive the rejection. I do have some history reports that need grading... I still remember reading your's from back in the day. You had a real gift for describing the Revolutionary War... like you were in a few battles yourself."

Years of practice kicking in, Will said, "Well, I had some doosies with a certain someone who will remain nameless... _Mom_!"

Susan smirked wryly at her first-born. "Well, as soon as the court says it's so, you'll have your own headache to deal with."

"Are you kidding?" Will placed her arms around Dee and squeezed her gently. "After the _harrowing_ events we've been through, we're already family. Right, Dee?"

Another thing Dee needed to tell Ingrid: the doe eyes she was supposed to make? Not even going to be a problem.

After they were all seated in the living room and holding a cup of lemonade, Dean said the words Dee dreaded since she learned Will had living relatives: "So, tell us about yourself, Dee. Where are you from?"

Dee fidgeted and looked at Will, who nodded and made an encouraging gesture. Dee swallowed her gulp of lemonade loudly, coughed when it when down the wrong end, then hesitantly begin. "Um, well, I grew up in St. Gnone's Orphanage back east until I was... about nine, I think. Not a lot happened there, actually. I made some friends but they all left one way or another, so mostly it was boring. After that I got put in a home since some congressman or something decided that kids my age needed to be in real homes, even if they were foster ones." She paused. "The first wasn't too bad, me and four other kids, but I started changing to a different one every few months."

"The ones after that were pretty... pretty lame." She laughed shakily, like it was some sort of joke only she got. "My... my last one... was bad, so bad I ran away. That was a year ago and I was making my way west the whole time."

"On your own?" Bee asked in awe.

"Well... I got a little help at the start from... from a really nice lady who knew how things went on the streets. She taught me how to... to find food, stay warm, all sorts of things."

"What's her name?" Dean asked. "Maybe we could help her."

"No..." Dee's face became stricken with grief. "She... one morning I found her... it happened in her sleep..." Will scooted closer and put her arms around Dee, who leaned into her gratefully. "I told a cop where she was and... I just started running."

The Collins were visibly moved by this, even Susan. Still, she was a practical woman and had to ask, "Did you really have to run away? Couldn't you have told someone about your foster parents? Like your social worker?"

Dee's face quickly darkened with anger. "I did. She said I was lying and called me an ungrateful little..." She sucked in a breath. "She wouldn't believe me. The... they, the last home, they were the kind of people that everyone thinks are so perfect they would never do anything wrong. I didn't want to get sent back there, so I left and stayed hidden. Until I ran into Will." She finally smiled. "Really. I broke her eggs."

Will laughed. "Well, just a little. But she ate the lasagna, so we're even."

"You _must_ have been starved," Bee said, then blinked behind her enormous bangs. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dee, I didn't mean... that was callous of me."

"Nah, it's alright," Dee assured her. "I got by pretty good, actually. Fast-food restaurants, no one ever eats all their fries or onion rings; they always throw those out together. And then they're the soup kitchens, they don't ask as long as you act like your parents are in there."

Dee was saying all of this conversationally, like she was telling them about what she'd learned in Girl Scouts. Will and her family looked horrified at the implications, Dean asking, "How is that even possible?"

He meant Dee not receiving more help, but she took it more as a question of technique. "Well, you just pick out a couple that's in there that you could possibly be related to and kind of look at them from time to time. Also, supermarkets throw out a lot of food that's still good just 'cause it's a certain date; I got lots of vegetables that way, which is better than the fast food... oh, but the absolute best was when I was going through farms and orchards out in the country. In the spring there were apples and peaches and carrots that were just waiting for me... strawberries! I love strawberries!" The Collins shook their heads in disbelief.

Will could tell her parents and younger sister were a little thrown by Dee's mannerisms; as someone who had dealt with traumatized individuals during her years as a Guardian, Will knew that once a pain had been felt long enough it could be compartmentalized and compressed until it could be pulled out and put back with surprising ease. Still, hearing the girl she'd decided to raise as her own recant such things was so upsetting she felt she had to do something. "Bee, do you guys have any strawberries in the fridge?" Equally eager to accommodate Dee, Beatrice got up to check.

"No, that's alright," Dee said quickly. "I... well, if it's okay..."

"Of course it is," Dean said. "After what you've been through, it's nothing at all. You should have everything you've been denied this past year. Including education." He was still a teacher, after all. "Have you decided on a school yet, Will?"

"Oh, I definitely want her at Sheffield," Will stated. "It's the best choice around and you and Hay Lin will be there just in case, not to mention Ingrid and the other girls."

"And me!" Bee said as she re-entered the room with a plate of strawberries and two bottles of chocolate sauce, one with a spoon in it. "I can help you if you're having trouble, Dee, but I'm kind of weak in English..."

Will _harumph_ed as she took the chocolate sauce with the spoon. "Thanks, Bee, but are you still hung up about that A-? Move on with your life."

"But I tried really hard! I'm sure my teacher just couldn't read my handwriting... have some strawberries, Dee, don't just look at them!" Dee was staring at the small berries like she expected them to disappear; at Bee's urging she took one and dipped it into the chocolate sauce, then took a small bite of the confection. Her eyes closed and she sighed contently as the contrasting tastes played over her tongue; she missed the surprised look Susan and Dean shot at each other.

"The chocolate sauce is great, isn't it?" Will asked as she shoved a spoon-full into her mouth.

"It's _all_ good," Dee said in a rapturous voice, not just talking about the strawberries.

Bee took a berry for herself and asked, "So, you've met Ingrid and crew, and Nola, and Billie's friends..."

"Who?" Dee asked. "Billy?"

Will rolled her eyes as Bee snickered. "Sorry, that's what I call Will. I couldn't say her name when I was little so I called her 'Bill', then 'Billie'. But you've met W.I.T.C.H., right?"

Dee blinked, then remembered that none of the Collins knew about the Guardians. Supposedly. "Oh, yeah, Will's friends? They were nice. Especially Hay Lin."

"Will said you got along with Irma very well," Susan said, subtly probing Dee's honesty; she knew Irma Lair came off as harsh to those who first met her and would be even more suspicious about this girl than Susan herself.

"Er... well..." Dee looked at Will, who was fighting not to grin even as the spoon was stuck in her mouth. "Not at first, Miss Collins, I admit. But we reached an understanding. More or less." _She didn't shoot me_...

Will placed the spoon back in the jar and smiled widely. "Have I got a story for you guys." She then told of how Dee and Irma met in mortal combat in the _Silver Dragon_'s kitchen and Will rushing upon the scene in her underwear, carefully editing out the part where Dee transformed and knocked Irma over the table.

There was no optical illusion like there was at the Guardian's initiation, but it was hardly needed; by the time she was finished Bee and Susan were nearly falling out of their seats with laughter while the mere mention of Will's undergarments had rendered Dean mute with embarrassment. "And then Mrs. Lin came in and broke them up. I don't think we could have stopped them ourselves, me and Hay Lin."

"I always remembered Irma as the class clown she was as a girl," Dean said thoughtfully. "It's amazing to see how she's grown-well, all of you, really. We didn't get to talk before she left... how's her family doing?"

"Everyone's doing great," Will said. "Thomas keeps busy when he's not teaching classes at the police academy and Anna's loving her job at Heatherfield Head-Start, especially with Chris away at college."

"I saw Martin taking photographs at the opening of that new corporate headquarters last week," Susan said. "I didn't think editors did that kind of work but he seemed very happy, couldn't stop talking about how great things were going."

Dean smiled and took her hand. "When you're married to the woman of your dreams, it's hard not to be." Susan blushed and gazed lovingly at him.

"Blecch!" Will and Bee exclaimed, making the disgusted faces to match. Dee just sat there holding a strawberry, not entirely sure how to react. Susan cleared her throat and regained some of her composure as she looked pointedly at her daughter. "That reminds me, Will, a friend at work has this new stepson-you remember Ms. Olevander? Well, Mrs. Cliegg now...

"Oh, mom," Will said in a groan. "Please don't tell me you've set me up on another blind date..."

"Nooooo!" Susan said with surprising force. "No, I learned my lesson last time. I guess I should have told you, but I still can't believe you called the cops on him..."

"I _didn't_! Irma just happened to be there and she just _happened _to have her handcuffs... and her, uh... pepper spray... okay, but you have to admit, you should have told me first and the guy _was_ pretty suspicious. Who brings flowers and candy these days? It's not the twentieth century anymore, hello?"

"I brought flowers to your mother for our first date," Dean reminded her. "And that was around '06. I'm just glad I didn't have to go through Irma!" Dee nodded somberly in grudging agreement.

"I just want you to be happy," Susan said, "To have someone like Dean so you don't have to stay in that apartment alone for the rest of your life."

Will sighed deeply at what was apparently a long-running argument. "I know that, but... guess what? I got a kid now without all the muss and fuss of dealing with a man and ... hey, _that_ means you've finally got a grandchild! Why don't you call her 'grandma', Dee, just to try it out?" Susan looked uncertain as to whether she should be happy to be a grandmother or worried she was now the dreaded "old."

The first thing that came to Dee's mind was the best thing to say. "Well, she doesn't really look like a grandma, she's too... young."

Susan was visibly surprised at this. Dean chuckled at his wife's expression and said to Dee, "Aren't you the sweet-talker?"

"Oh, no, I mean... I wasn't trying to... ah... that's just what I think. I think."

"Well, you're only fourteen, right?" Will pointed out. "Mom makes for a pretty young grammy for someone your age."

Susan rolled her eyes at being called a "grammy." "Thank you, Dee. Well, I hope you'll both be staying here tonight instead of going back to the apartment. I already called someone to install a new lock on your doors, but it would make me feel better..." Susan made a semi-pout at her daughter.

Will gave a dramatic sigh that was mostly for show. "Oh, alright. Ah... actually, Dee's headed over to Cornelia's for a sleep-over with the girls later. Much later, of course, after dinner. Don't eat too many, Dee, you'll spoil your appetite."

Dee was reaching for another strawberry and rolled her eyes at the idea she could ever be full, but decided it would be a good idea to obey Will in front of her parents. "Okay. Uh... I have to go to the bathroom... please?"

"Oh, of course." Susan pointed down the hall. "Second door on the right, sweetie."

"Thanks... thank you." Dee got up and left the living room.

"She's trying," Dean noted once Dee was out of earshot. "To be polite, I mean. She really wants this to work."

"It will," Will said confidently. "I know it. Everyone at the dinner liked Dee, too."

"There are some sharp people in that group," Susan admitted. "I have to say I'm a little, well... shocked at this whole thing. It's strange to have your daughter call you up to tell you she's adopting a teenage girl that just showed up on her doorstep."

"Well, maybe it's destiny?" Will suggested with a knowing grin.

Susan rolled her eyes. "Why not? Lord knows it would take a miracle for me to get grandchildren out of you at this point." Will's grin turned into a grimace as Beatrice and Dean laughed.

* * *

**/-\D/-\**

Just as Irma reached her in-laws' house she looked back at her son and smiled. "We don't need no one but us, right kiddo? Just Me and Momma. Ready to meet the grandparents, little man?"

Tom-Tom looked up from his toy and realized that Dee Dee was gone, too. "Dee Dee? Dee Dee!" Why did everyone have to leave Tom-Tom, why? Staggered by this realization, he began to cry again. "Ah wah Dee Hay Dee Hay! Hay Dee, Hay Dee!"

Irma deflated in her seat and sighed. "I just can't win, I cannot win..."

* * *

**Author's Note:** No, Irma, you cannot. Sorry, babe.

While walking to Irma's car Ingrid nearly tells Dee the story of the episode "W is for Witch." The Sheffield Institute Halloween Carnival featured in the show and comics will happen near the end of the story and you know what that means: costumes!

Name Meanings: Dee's orphanage is named after Elisabetta Gnone, the creator of the W.I.T.C.H. comic and someone we all owe some big thanks to. Beatrice Bathilda Collins is my own creation and Will's half-sister, born when Will was fifteen and a year older than Dee. Her name meanings are "happy, bringer of joy" (Beatrice), "warrior" (Bathilda), "son of Collin" (Collins).

Leafy is the name of Irma's pet turtle in the comics and isn't in the show, apparently. Maybe Blunk ate him?

Will not knowing the disappearing thumb trick is mentioned by her in the first episode of the television series, "It Begins." In the comics she likes to eat chocolate sauce right out of the bowl, particularly when she's upset or down. Dee loves strawberries because, well, I love strawberries.

I might as well admit that Hay Lin and Tom-Tom's relationship is modeled after my grandmother and myself as a baby. When I was little I had to fall asleep before I would allow myself to be taken from my Nanny. Thankfully, I've gotten better. Nanny, however, has not, God bless her. That's probably why I like writing about them so much.

TheJudge2 commented on Ingrid's height as a Guardian and how it seemed rather tall. Looking back I never really specified the girls' heights, especially Ingrid who was sitting down when she first appeared. Dee and Jamila are around 5'3-4, little Nestis a 5'2, Nola 5'5 and Ingrid is about the size of her father in the TV show at a little under 5'9. When W.I.T.C.H. transforms in the show they're about a head taller (eight-nine inches) so applying that shaky formula to D.J.I.N.N. would mean Ingrid's 6'8 is about right.

If you've seen "N is for Narcissist" where a transformed Cornelia gained even more height you'd have a good visual of how tall Ingrid is compared to the others in Guardian form. She's a big girl, what can I say? Will fed her lots of vegetables while she was growing up, not that Ingrid appreciated it at the time. Speaking of, I have a one-shot about that in the works...

TheJudge2 also wondered about Tom-Tom's father and it is indeed Martin Tubbs, who is happily married to his "cupcake" Irma. This may have confused some people in Chapter Two when Irma is re-introduced as Irma Tubbs but is referred to as "Lair" by her partner and herself. Legally her last name is Tubbs, but when your dad worked in the same police department you do for decades, you'd be hard-pressed to get everyone to stop thinking of you as his daughter.

"Why Martin and Irma?" you ask. "Aren't you stretching it a bit already with Caleb and Cornelia?" Well, I've noticed in the comics Irma's various love interests are almost entirely blonde, so I took that as a Freudian comment on her affection for Martin. One example: when Martin is visited by a cute French pen pal Irma fakes falling to get his attention and is P'O'ed when she doesn't get it. There are other hints (ex. The Year Before Special Issue), but I think you get the point. 'Sides, I love it when the nerdy guy gets the girl. Why? Well, do you have to ask?

Something that's been bugging me since season one: where is the parking for the _Silver Dragon_? It's surrounded by skyscrapers! Or at least really tall office buildings. Hence the parking garage.


	8. Voices Unheard By Others

Disclaimer: The D.J.I.N.N. ladies are my own creations while the W.I.T.C.H. characters, concepts and settings are owned by very lovely, creative and hardworking people with very expensive lawyers I do not want all over me like fire ants on a sugar cube. I am not a cube!

Author's Note:

* * *

Chapter Eight: Voices Unheard By Others

Man, she really did look like a boy. A cute boy, but still...

Dee touched the bathroom's mirror and sighed at the guy looking back at her. She almost tried to remember the last time she'd tried to look feminine before a wall of reinforced concrete slammed down in her mind. There was no point thinking about that now, it was done and over with... she was safe, embarrassed by her appearance, yeah, but still safe. She had Will, she had the girls, she had the Heart...

She shook herself and giggled nervously. _Better not take too long_, the new Vandom thought, _gotta make a good impression on Will's folks... they can find out how messed I am later_. Dee was about to pull down her boxer shorts to do her business when she discovered one of the downsides of being the Guardian of Quintessence: as long as there were electrical appliances around, you had no real privacy. "_Hell-o_!"

Dee jerked upright. "Wha-wha?" She looked at the hair-dryer laying next to the sink. "Oh, geez, you startled me."

"Sorry, dear," the hair-care appliance said in a woman's pithy accent. "That was the last thing I wanted to do, believe me. My name is Gladys, by the way, and if the scuttlebutt around the circuits is true, you must be the new addition to the family!"

"Scuttle... butt?" Dee kept her voice as low as possible in case one of the Collins walked by. "What do you mean? How'd you find out about me?"

"Why, the whole house is talking about you, child! As soon as you set foot in the driveway you've had our full attention, all of us from Joe the garage door opener to Margaret, Susan's hair-curler! It's all terribly exciting, just like the last weekend Miss Hale stayed over. Oh, but much safer, I have to say!" Gladys chuckled at that.

"Miss Hale? You mean Ingrid?"

"Oh, yes. An adorable child at the time-she was nine, I believe-but so unintentionally _destructive_. Poor Joe still hasn't gotten over her backing the car into him. Neither has the car, for that matter. Oh, but you came to do your constitutional and I'm delaying you! Don't mind me, go ahead!"

"No problem." Dee reached for her boxers before stopping again. "Uh, Gladys? Would it be okay if I put you in a drawer? I'm, ah... not real comfortable with an audience."

"Oh, of course, dear, perfectly understandable. Maybe you should put the others in with me as well?"

"...others?" At her query an electric toothbrush, a women's razor, the digital scale on the floor and the peach-scented air-freshener plugged into a wall socket all started saying variations of "Hi!" and introducing themselves. "Um... yeah, I think I should. Uh, nice to meet you all... really dig the peach smell, Jacque..."

"_Bonjour, mon cherie_!"

* * *

Back at the _Silver Dragon_, Miss Hale was having her own awkward moment. "So, what have you been up to?" Cornelia asked her daughter. "Is school going okay?"

Ingrid shrugged. "Ah... it's going. You know. B's and C's. An A here and there."

"Oh, that's great!" Silence. "Well, what else? I want to hear it _all_."

If Dee could see Ingrid trying to make small-talk with her mother, she would barely have recognized the lively girl. "Errrr... ahhhh... not a lot's going on. Except today, y'know. Guardians, Dee... Tom-Tom making potty. Just not very exciting around these parts. SOOOOOO... how did the preggy photo shoot go?" As Cornelia began to describe her latest magazine spread Ingrid caught Jamila's eyes from across the dining room and thought,_ (Can you hear me_, _Jami?)_

Jamila started and glared at her friend. _(Ingrid!? Don't do that!)_ The Fire Guardian quickly realized she was talking without actually_ talking. (We're telepathic, too?_

_(Yeah, _and_ we can talk to each other with our minds. Kidding! _Seriously_... help me out over here! My mom won't stop talking to me!)_

_(And...?)_

_(And you have to bail me out! You know I can't do this, it's too... weird!)_

Jamila narrowed her eyes. _(She's _your_ mother, Ingrid_.)

Ingrid nearly thought _only biologically _before she stopped herself. Now that she was a Guardian, her thoughts weren't entirely her own anymore. _(Look, you do this, I promise I'll get you a picture of my dad with his shirt off.)_

_(That's disgusting, Ingrid!) _A long pause. (_From the front?)_

_(Six-pack and all. Hurry, she's nearly finished! Save me, save me-hee-hee!) _Ingrid "said" pitifully.

Ingrid had no idea you could actually groan telepathically, but Jami sent a long one her way. _(This does not say a lot for my character.) _With resignation written all over her face, Jamila walked over to Cornelia. "Miss Cornelia? Could I get your advice on an outfit?"

"Oh?" Cornelia looked at both of the girls. "Er, actually, Jami, I was hoping to spend some time with Ingrid..."

"That's cool!" Ingrid said quickly. "I have to go to the bathroom, anyway. We can talk tonight, right?"

Cornelia didn't look like she agreed, but still relented. "Well, um, okay. So... tell me, Jamila, what's the situation?"

Ingrid headed toward the bathroom farthest from the dining room (she really did need to go, but wasn't going to use the toilet Nestis puked in). She was just through the door way when a voice next to her said, "The daughter of the brave Caleb, sneaking away from her own mother? Disgraceful."

Ingrid nearly went to the bathroom right then and there. "Geezus, Nollie! Did they teach you how to sneak around like that in Princess School?!"

Leaning against the door with her arms crossed, Nola shrugged. "Actually, I learned it from you during our many 'adventures.'" Pushing away from the wall she stood in front of Ingrid, the few inches that differentiated their heights seemingly inconsequential as the princess looked her friend straight in the eye. "I may critique you, my friend, but the only thing I truly find deplorable about you is your lack of respect for Cornelia."

"The hell?!" Ingrid felt her parents' blood begin to rise in her veins, but she managed to force most of it down; mauling Nola would ruin the great day they were having so far. "Hey, it's not about respect, alright?! I jus... it's like..." She looked around before continuing. "Look, Elyon's always been there for you, right?"

"Of course."

"And that's great. For _you_. But mine... I don't even _know_ that woman, okay? So excuse me for being a little put-out when she starts acting like we're best friends. I love her, of course, I just... never mind. You're not getting this, I can tell."

Nola placed a hand on her shoulder. "I understand, Ingrid, I do. She hasn't been in your life much. But if you don't try to build something now, this will just continue to worsen."

Ingrid grimaced as she realized that, dang it, Nola was correct yet again. "Okay, fine, I'll mentally regress a few years and be Mommy's Little Girl, so you can get out of face now, alright?"

She must have said that last bit too harshly since Nola looked taken back, a rare expression for her. "I am sorry, Ingrid. I was out of line."

Ingrid sighed. "No, I know what it looks like. She's just... she's not been around enough to make a dent in my thick head." She eased past Nola to go to the bathroom, then stopped. "Beside the word 'Mom' in my brain, it's not her picture I see, get me?"

Nola got her. "Yes, but now she has a daughter of her own... you have to remember who you came from and the bond of blood that you have with Cornelia."

Ingrid snorted, not entirely forgiving Nola yet; her oldest friend was right a lot, but she was also a little clueless. "Coming from you, Nola, that sounds a tad ironic. And don't forget that in my family blood isn't always telling, or we'd _all_ be in trouble." Nola nodded curtly to show she understood. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Ingrid walked away from her friend with resolute determination not to look back... then she had to turn around once she remembered the bathroom was in the other direction, right past Nola. "Not a damn word, Princess."

All Nola did was smile.

* * *

Nestis watched Ingrid and Nola argue quietly about something while she swept the floor. No one had asked her to, she just felt like cleaning a little. It was just in her nature to so, she told himself, all those years spent helping Mama clean house. The floors looked a little dirty (probably her fault, she forgot to wipe her feet), the broom was there...

When Ingrid was gone Nola walked over to Nestis and asked, "Do you require any aid?"

"Uh, no! I was just... it's a habit." She put the broom away. "Is Ingrid okay?"

"She is... a little overwhelmed. It has been quite the day." Nestis smiled and nodded. "Forgive me, Nestis, but I feel we should get to know each other better. This is our first meeting, after all."

"Oh... you mean with us being Guardians?"

"Yes, but we are also new friends through Ingrid and Jamila. Ingrid mentioned you in her correspondence but not much else." They sat at the table. "I don't want to pry, but all Ingrid could talk about was your... 'off the hizzy hair', I believe she put it as such. And it is very impressive, I must say."

Nestis laughed at Ingrid's description. "Thanks, I like yours, too. Ingrid... well, I just met her a few weeks ago. I had just moved here from the Andoa reservation with my mother. I lived there all my life, so I was totally not ready for Heatherfield. My first day at Sheffield I was afraid to go past the gate... then Ingrid saw me and... _encouraged_ me to go through. She and Jamila stayed with me the whole day and took me here, to the _Silver Dragon_, after school let out. We rode with Hay Lin and they treated me like... well, like they treated Dee today. I... I've never been..."

Nestis cleared her throat. "It was great, but I forgot to call my mom and... she freaked out a little and drove over here from work. It was a little embarrassing..."

"Mothers can be overprotective," Nola stated. "My own insists I carry many guards with me whenever I leave the castle."

Nestis stared at her. "...oh, _princess_, right."

"But she understood your forgetting once she saw how nice your new friends were, right?"

Nestis swallowed as she remembered her mother Racquel had not understood, but completely over-reacted as she stormed into the _Silver Dragon_. After chewing her daughter out thoroughly for not calling her she had reciprocated Hay Lin's pleasantries with harsh words about acting like an adult, unaware that the cheerful woman was only a few years younger than herself and one of Nestis' teachers to boot.

Jamila had thankfully held back Ingrid from getting in Racquel's face as she dragged Nestis to her car. The drive home was silent and tense and when they arrived at their apartment Nestis had started on her homework while her mother locked herself in her room and started crying. Again. "She... understands now. Ever since... Dad di..."

Nola placed her hand on Nestis's and squeezed it. "There is no need to explain." Nestis smiled weakly but gratefully. "Well, on another topic: what are your interests? You look to me like someone who enjoys a good run."

Nestis looked surprised. "Um, yeah, you're right! How did you know!"

"Well, I can tell your leg muscles are very defined through your jeans and the wristband you're wearing is the sort that can expand to become a headband." Nestis now looked amazed. "It's nothing, really. Ingrid's father encouraged us to be ever vigilant during his lessons all these years."

"Ingrid's dad... he's from Meridian, right?"

"Yes, and a hero of our world as well. It was during the Rebellion that he met Guardian Hale and the others, back when my mother was still ignorant of her heritage and in danger from her brother." Nola scowled, even though she did not even say her uncle's name; the thought alone left a bad enough taste in most Meridianites' mouths. Nola had never even met her uncle who was presumed deceased and she was not at all sorry for that.

"I haven't seen him yet... I'm guessing Ingrid takes after him?"

"Very much so, though it's not obvious at first since Ingrid does not possess a beard!" The girls chuckled at the image. "He is a handsome man and kind as well, and a skilled warrior and leader of the Meridian royal guard, the protectors of the royal family."

"Like you?"

Nola nodded. "Indeed. He was my personal bodyguard for many years, at the queen's insistence; often when he came back to Earth to be with his family I was brought along as well. But now he will be abdicating his position to Sir Drake so that he can be with Cornelia during the birth and to raise the boys afterward. He has not lived in Heatherfield for years since Meridian has only recently achieved true stability."

"'True stability'? Were there problems?"

Nola nodded somberly. "The bandits we fought today were once much more numerous, as the prosperity of Queen Elyon's reign has unfortunately bred laziness and greed among certain types. Many have wished that the Guardians-W.I.T.C.H., I should say-would return to aid Meridian, but Mother believes they have done enough already and that we must stand on our own from now on."

"So W.I.T.C.H. is retired?" Jamila asked as she walked over. "When did that happen? Is there a term or something we serve out?"

Nola shook her head. "Not as such. Guardians serve as long as they are able and wish to, and can be called upon after retirement if needed. As I understand, our precursors were still active up until five years ago when they had mostly finished their education. They retired to pursue careers and start families, so their connection to the Aurameres was severed and they retained only their Eternal Gifts as a reward and a training aid for teaching the next generation of Guardians. Namely, us."

Seeing the other two girls were obviously going to ask it anyway, Nola continued. "Eternal Gifts are the shades of elemental power left in former Guardians; every one of our predecessors have their own Gift. Mrs. Lin used her's-in combination with the Heart, I surmise-for our history lesson earlier; that may have been why Dee, well, 'stole the show' unintentionally. When we step down from our positions, we will also keep our Eternal Gifts, but we must be cautious: Gifts draw directly on the life force of the user, not from an Auramere. Too much use... well, you can imagine."

"I noticed Mrs. Lin looked a little winded," Nestis noted. "Should she really be doing stuff like that?"

Nola smiled wryly. "Mrs. Lin... has a bit of 'show-y' side to her. She enjoyed doing it, so I wouldn't worry about her, she knows her limits."

"Wish I knew _my _limits," Nestis moaned. "I nearly killed Dee!"

"You're exaggerating," Jamila assured her. "You'll get it under control eventually, I'm sure. And Dee strikes me as being pretty tough. Maybe even Ingrid-tough, at least mentally."

"Did somebody say my name?" Ingrid asked as she walked over to her friends. "'Cuz I'm refreshed and ready to dish! Are you telling scandalous stories about me, Nollie? Completely untrue, biased accounts that will color young Nestis' perception of me?"

Nola tilted her head haughtily even as she was privately relieved to see Ingrid back to herself. "Hardly, and you do a fine job of that yourself. I was merely explaining some of the aspects of Guardian-ship, such as Eternal Gifts."

"Yeah, but where do I come in?"

"I was just saying that you and Dee both seem... well, tough," Jamila said.

"Yeah, ain't she? I can't wait to get her into Sheffield, ha! They'll never see her coming!" Ingrid wrung her hands together like she was plotting something; likely she was, Nola and Jamila thought. "Wonder how things are going at the Collins'... ooh, Jamila! You can get in touch with her! That's the Fire Guardian thing, guys: mind-to-mind call conferencing!"

Jamila looked shocked. "I can do that? But she's across town."

"Shouldn't matter; Aunt Tee said that it works between dimensions so contacting our fearless leader should be no sweat! C'mon, do it! I'm dying of curiosity, it's killing me here!"

"If anyone _could_ die from it..." Nola muttered as Jamila closed her eyes and concentrated.

Feeling experimental, Ingrid pointed her hand at a napkin holder on the table and squealed in delight as it floated shakingly into the air. "Awright! No strings, people, it's real magic!"

Nola, of course, disapproved. "Ingrid, contain yourself! What would the Oracle say?"

"If Auntie Eye is right, something really vague and mysterious that has nothing to do with napkin holders." Not wanting to push her luck (or break another piece of property belonging to her aunts 'cause god knew how many she'd destroyed already) Ingrid set the napkin holder down gently. "Okay... if I'm recalling correctly, Water Guardians can change colors-that's a little lame, Nollie, sorry-and Air Guardians can go stealth-mode..."

"Huh?" Nestis asked.

"Invisible! Out of sight, like Air itself! Right, Hay Hay?"

"Yep!" Hay Lin said as she walked by carrying a plate. "Like this!" She vanished, leaving the plate as the only thing visible as it was left hanging in mid-air. "It's so cool, Nestis, you'll love it!" The plate floated off into the kitchen.

From the other side of the room Yan Lin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, show off now, kiddo, but in thirty years that won't be so easy!"

Nestis swallowed nervously. "I'll... ah... I'll try that later."

_(Dee?)_ Jamila whispered psychically. (_Dee, are you there?)_

_(Man, I must not be used to all this good food 'cause I'm starting to hear the others' voices. Sounds like Jamila. Well, she seems okay. They all do. I just hope they actually like me...)_

_(Of course we do, Dee.)_

_(Oh, that's nice of you to sayyyyyy-what the... Jamila?! Is that really you?)_

_(Yes, it is. Sorry if I scared you. This is a Fire Guardian power, apparently. Did I interrupt something?)_

_(Uhm...) _Dee had been reaching for the toilet paper when Jamila had contacted her. (_Nope! Something up?)_

_(Nothing really, but Ingrid was wondering how things are going with Will's parents.)_

_(Hey, Dee!) _A startled Dee swore and Jamila shot Ingrid a dirty look. _(Sorry! I did say call conferencing, didn't I? Not only can Jamila speak mind-to-mind with us, she acts like a radio for the whole group! Jamila Sahrzad, the Psychic Speaker Phone!)_

_(I'll embroider that on a shawl_,) Jamila projected sarcastically. _(And then I'll stuff it in your mouth.)_

_(Yeesh, _fiery_! Downright scary to think about you PMS-ing; think I'll stick around Nola during those "hot flashes"... anyway, Dee, how's it going? _Is anything on fire_?) _The last part was said in mock-seriousness.

Dee eyes narrowed in amused annoyance. _(...no. But speaking of destruction, the whole house remembers the time you backed the car into the garage door. Next time you're over here, you might want to stay away from Troy-the car, I mean-he's still afraid of you from when you... you know.)_

_(Awwwww... I feel bad. I just wanted to drive like Aunt Susie and Will! Tell Troy I'm very sorry. But other than that, what's the situation? You know, Susan will only attack if she bares her teeth.)_

_(Ha ha. But seriously, you were right about Will's mom; thanks, Ingrid. She wasn't thrilled to see me, but I think she's cool with me now. Will helped out a lot in that, said I was family already.)_

_(You are! Right, girls?) _

_(Is... thing... on?_) Nestis, of course. Strangely, Dee could barely make what the Air Guardian was saying; it was like Nestis was talking to her from the end of a tunnel. _(Oh...he's right...ee, we're...behin...you!) _

_(The Oracle would not have made us what we are if there wasn't a good indication we would be close, Diana._) Nola's light voice was even more beautiful in the ethereal communication of their telepathic link. _(In a way, we are the greatest friends you have never met.)_

Dee's eyes began to tear up. _(Thank you, guys, but... Dee, please, okay? Diana sounds... snooty, at least to me.)_

_(I am sorry, Di... Dee. I must admit, you have a lovely name. I enjoy saying it.)_

_(Oh... well, I guess every once in while...) _There was a knock at the bathroom door. "Dee? Are you okay?" Beatrice asked. "I thought I heard you speaking to someone."

"Oh!" Dee struggled to come up with an excuse; she had been talking aloud while communicating with the others. "I... I'm talking to the others on a... SAT; Jamila... Jamila let me borrow hers. They wanted to know how it's going."

"How sweet! Tell them it's going great! We've got some yard work to do, so we'll be in the back. Take your time!" Beatrice's footsteps padded down the hall.

_(Dee? Dee!)_

_(Sorry, I'm back! Beatrice was just telling me something. And yeah, I made the doe eyes, Ingrid. Couldn't help myself.)_

_(Awwww, it's true love! Parental love, anyway. Glad to hear things are going good. Are you on for tonight at my house? I figured Susan would be a little over-protective after the "break-in".)_

_(Yeah, I'm good. Will's staying over here tonight, she didn't even try to argue.)_

_(Y'know, with those two, you're probably looking at your future, Dee.)_

_(I can only hope... crap, did I say that "aloud"?)_

_(Yep.)_

_(CRAP!) _All of D.J.I.N.N. chuckled at her slip.

Yan Lin and Cornelia were watching the girls as they held their silent conversation. "If I didn't know what was going on," Cornelia said, "that would be a little creepy."

"I remember we used to do that all the time," Yan said. "Even more than you girls, oh, you ladies did. So... did Ingrid tell you about her little incident in gym class?"

Cornelia blinked in surprise. "Um... no, she didn't say anything about that."

"Oh, well, the school covered the costs, anyway, and the child has promised not to 'slam a dunk' on the basketball court from now on." Yan sat down next to her. "Now that you will be home for a while, you two can spend a lot of time together. They grow up so fast, don't they?"

Cornelia sighed mournfully. "You can say that again. I didn't realize how true that was... I thought she'd slow down once she started school... I was never very good with babies, I let Will, Hay Lin and my mother handle all that while I smiled pretty for the judges and cameras. I kept saying to myself, 'just a few more months' and then it was years and now she's..." She gestured at her daughter. "She doesn't want anything to with me. She doesn't know _what _to do with me."

Yan Lin nodded in understanding; truth be told, she had seen this coming for a long time. "That is the price that is paid when we devote our lives to something, but your reasons were sound. Your work has guaranteed that your family will want for nothing in this world, Cornelia, you must remember that."

"I don't think Ingrid would thank me for it," Cornelia said. "She's so much like her father, the both of them don't want much at all and they even like the challenge of not having enough." She smirked. "Pretty insightful for a blonde ditz, huh?"

Yan Lin chuckled. "Oh, you were never a ditz, child. Your priorities just needed some rearranging. Being a Guardian helped with that, I noticed, as did your 'happy little accident' sitting over there with her friends."

Cornelia smiled warmly at her daughter, who didn't notice the parental affection as she chatted with her friends. "Yeah... whatever she feels about me, I know how much I love 'Caleb Jr.' I want to spend a lot of time with her from now on, if she'll let me."

"I think she secretly wants that," Yan said, "But it's the actual contact that's the problem. She is her father's daughter in that, preferring action and bravado over conversation. Just remember that and you'll be fine. Besides, your babies are on the way, and nothing brings people together like babies!"

Cornelia looked slightly afraid. "I know... I'm so excited, but..."

"I understand, dear. But we are all here for you and the boys." Yan Lin patted Cornelia's stomach and felt one of the twins move within. "Even this old fossil can contribute a little, I think."

"A little? I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Yan. We owe everything to you; without you, I wouldn't have the family I'm blessed with."

Yan waved her hands in front of her face. "Stop that, you're making me blush! I just handed the Heart off to the greatest generation of Guardians there ever was, that's all... though these new ones have considerable promise as well."

Cornelia rolled her eyes. "And here I am, barefoot and pregnant-so to speak. I don't know how much of a help I'll be in this state."

Yan chuckled. "I'm sure you have more to contribute than you think. Ingrid shall surely need pointers on using her powers, particularly the more... subtle arts of Earth Guardianship. Oracle knows she doesn't need any help breaking things!"

Cornelia was about to ask why that was before she vaguely remembered all the broken items her daughter had destroyed over the years. "Oh... yes, I remember." And yet she couldn't help but feel she should have remembered more quickly. Cornelia yawned and her eyes drooped. "Oh..."

"You must be exhausted," Yan Lin said. "I was not happy you decided to make this trip, Cornelia Hale; surely they could have found someone else to fill in for the month of March?"

"I'll try not to take that personally," Cornelia said wryly. "Besides, it was for charity; a calendar of pregnant celebrities should sell a lot as much as the paparazzi tries to get photos of me trying to bend over. I may not be a public servant like Irma, but I can do my part for the community."

"Yes, but from now until the birth you should be resting. If you need anything you had best call me before I find out, understand? Otherwise there'll be hell to pay." Cornelia chuckled and nodded. "Now, Elizabeth will be here soon to pick you up. Ingrid! Your mother needs help getting down the stairs! I knew I should have had us eat on the ground floor, but those pesky reporters..."

Ingrid was quickly at her mother's side to help her up, her father's strength aiding her as her strong arms supported Cornelia until she was standing on her own. "Easy, Mom, I gotcha. I hope you had oodles of hotties taking care of you at the photo shoot."

It was Ingrid's way of expressing concern, Cornelia knew, another thing she inherited from her father. "Actually, it was a woman your grandmother's age, but she was a lot of help. Men can be so clueless when it comes to dealing with pregnant women; I think that's why your father's been avoiding me lately."

"When I get my hands on that boy," Yan Lin said about the thirty-two-year-old man, "I am going to pull his ears off!"

Ingrid winced at the image of an ear-less Caleb. "Yeesh, maybe Dad should sit this one out. Was he hiding somewhere when I was making the great escape?"

"Quite the opposite," Yan Lin said. "In fact, he wanted to deliver you himself because he had prior experience."

Cornelia snorted. "Yeah, with an _ox_! He compared me to an ox, ooh!"

This time, Ingrid chuckled at the image of Cornelia with horns. "And you're still married to him? How come?"

Cornelia smiled and raised her eyebrows knowingly, happy to be talking with her daughter. "The same reason you have little brothers on the way."

"Ewww! Scar me for life, woman!?"

* * *

There are places in Meridian where the light of the queen does not touch. Whether through distance or neglect, niches of darkness form where the only deeds done are malevolent ones and the only words are curses against enemies real and presumed.

At one of these places, an altar dating back before the beginning of the Escanor royal lineage, hard eyes stared at the mystic fire that burned without corporeal fuel in the main fire-pit. Smaller torches lit the four corners of the altar in an eerie, cold luminescence... except for a growing darkness behind the one whose eyes saw without light.

"You're alive," the eyes said. "Barely, at that. I would have thought a fierce one like yourself would have fared better against a husk and a neophyte Guardian, Selene."

The cloak of shadows receded to reveal the Arachne-like Beast that had tried to steal the Heart of Candracar the previous night. Selene's green eyes narrowed to dagger-thin slits as she bowed her head and knelt on her front legs to show the extremely reluctant obeisance forced upon her. "Mistress... the girl surprised me. Lord Cedric always said that the Guardians were weak and lacked resolve..."

"Of course he said that!" the eyes roared as they whirled to bore into the Beast. "His pride was damaged from the numerous humiliations the predecessors heaped upon him! I warned you not to underestimate this one, this Keeper! But you were overconfident, weren't you? You let your hatred of my race cloud your instincts and look what happened! When the girl cast you into the fire death was but a moment away! Not that it would have appeared to have been a great loss."

Selene gritted her teeth until blood filled her mouth; as much as she hated the abuse her mistress too easily dealt out, a lack of faith in her ability was all the more degrading. "The elder one advised the younger; I was inches away from their throats when the Heart defended them by opening a Fol-arrrggggghhh!" A pain with the intensity of a scalpel being driven through her skull staggered Selene; she buried her face behind her legs but it did no good, the agony was coming from within her own mind.

The cause of the pain snorted in disgust. "Excuses! Nothing more than pretty coverings for your failure! We've missed our last great chance, do you understand?! The five are together and have tasted battle, and I am sorry to say they have an aptitude for it! Even the fools of Candracar have made an excellent match this time..."

Selene's mistress paced back and forth across the altar steps, seemingly oblivious to her minion's continued torture as she thought aloud. "The daughter of Caleb the Hero and Elyon's miraculous little find would have been bad enough, but the Earthern children seem to have talents of their own. And the Keeper, oh, what irony...but they are not invincible... no... far from it..." She absently waved her hand and Selene collapsed in relief as the pain subsided. "If I had known that you were not up to the task, perhaps I would have sent aid with you."

Maybe it was the euphoria of the end of agony, or maybe Selene was being pushed to her limit; she decided to voice her opinion despite the likely possibility of more pain. "But of course, you wouldn't have done that because discretion is vital at this point. If the others knew..." She let the suggestion hang in the air.

Instead of punishing her, the Mistress looked thoughtful. "True... very true. It is also true that we do not have the Heart, but that does not mean it is lost to us. There are other opportunities... and other objectives." The Mistress stared at Selene as if appraising her. "Direct action has failed, so therefore subterfuge must utilized for now. Change into your human form and infiltrate Heatherfield. Study the new Guardians and report back their weaknesses by the end of the Earthern week. Do not attempt to kill them; even if you succeed, those who have destoyed Guardians before have fared... badly. And they are not the real enemy."

Reaching into her robes, she withdrew a dagger carved from a large tooth and slashed at the air between her and Selene. A Fold poured from the tip of the dagger and lit the wrinkled and worn skin of the sorceress' face and brought a sheen to her pale waist-length hair. "Go, and remember that I am always with you."

The words themselves sounded like a promise of companionship and affection, but Selene knew better. "As you wish, Mistress," the Beast said as she dove into the Fold, resolving to follow the orders to the letter; the more her mistress trusted her, the easier it would be at the end of her servitude to free herself.

Not to mention much more satisfying when finally got to "know" her mistress.

* * *

Author's Notes: The altar the bad girls meet at is the one in "D is for Destruction" where Nerissa made the Annihilators.

There's another Animorphs homage in this chapter; Nestis' mother's name is from a character called Rachel.

I don't think I mentioned this, but Yan Lin's appearance is based on how she looks in the comics.


	9. Right Down Memory Lane

Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. - Not mine. D.J.I.N.N. - Are mine. Any questions?

Author's Note: I have updated! Rejoice and review!

* * *

Chapter Nine: Right Down Memory Lane

* * *

After Dee had washed her hands, she liberated all the bathroom appliances from their drawer and returned them to their stations; Gladys hoped to "see you again soon, dear!" as Dee said her goodbyes.

Pulling on the Auramere-themed jacket Hay Lin had lent her, the Keeper went to the back yard where the Collins and Will were gathering up branches that had fallen during the storm. Dee found it cool that they had a pool before she remembered she had never learned to swim; feeling a little sad about that, she felt better when she saw Will and Bee "sword-fighting" with two branches while an exasperated Susan and an amused Dean looked on. "Who's winning?" Dee asked.

Will scoffed. "Me, of course! Big sister always wins, right, Bee?"

"Of course you do," Bee replied. "Because I _let _you win!" The Collins chuckled while Will mock-glared at them; Bee dropped her "sword" into the brush pile and smiled at Dee. "I bet the other girls were dying to know how things were going," she said, adjusting her glasses after her ferocious duel. "It was nice of Jamila to lend you her phone, but then she's always very helpful."

Will raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Dee. "So you talked to the girls?" She smiled knowingly at Dee when the others couldn't see her, knowing for a fact that Jamila had _not_ given Dee her SAT and guessing just how the Fire Guardian had helped the Keeper keep in touch. "I bet they were going nuts wondering about how things were going."

"Well, Ingrid was the most curious. She wanted to know if it was okay for me to come to her sleep over after dinner."

"At Cornelia's house?" Susan asked. Will and Dee both nodded. "Oh, Cornelia's back, isn't she? How's she doing? She's so close now..."

"Everything's looking good," Will said, "Even Cornelia, of course."

"But should she be handling all those girls by herself? In her condition?"

Will shot a wry glance at Dee. "_Mom_... none of these girls are what you'd call trouble makers; even Ingrid knows when to cool it. Cornelia's mother will be there, too, so don't worry. God, you're always worrying!"

"I'm sorry," Susan said. "It's just that it's hard to stop once you get started. Let's see how you're going to like it, Miss Free and Easy!" They all laughed. "No point in raking with the grass still wet, let's go back in."

"Hey, I have an idea," Dean said with a grin. "Since Dee's joining the family, why don't we show her some of our old photos? Like our wedding and Will's graduations?"

"And baby pictures!" Beatrice suggested. "Especially the embarrassing ones of Billie running around naked!" Will shot out an arm to whack Bee on the head, but the scholarly teen showed surprising dexterity as she dodged the blow; Dee figured that the two sisters had been play-fighting for years.

"That's a good idea," Susan agreed. "I need to make a call, you guys start without me."

Dee, Will, Dean and Bee returned to the living room where Will's half-sister opened a cabinet and pulled out a thick album. "We have everything backed up on electronic media, of course, but we keep regular photos to show people."

Dee and Will sat on the couch while Dean took a chair. Bee brought the album over to the coffee table and put it down with great effort. "Oof! There is a lot of history in there! It's more or less chronologically ordered, I put it together myself."

"I remember that day," Dean said. "There were photos all over this room. Susan and her daughters seem to be able to organize no matter how big a mess they make."

"Says you!" Will accused her step-father. "Dee hasn't seen your study yet, but it's a total landfill!"

"It's not a landfill, it's... _productive_ _consequences_."

Will pulled the album forward and opened it so its covers sat on her and Dee's laps. The first page was a big photo of the Collins family from many years ago; Dee was surprised to see a teen aged Will staring into her eyes as she held an infant that had to be Beatrice. Of particular note was the Heart of Candracar hanging around Will's neck and resting on Beatrice's small chest, the infant seemingly fascinated with the amulet.

"Will must really like you," Beatrice observed, "if she gave you her necklace. What did you call that thing, the Heart of Candy?"

"Uh, yeah," Will said. "Mrs. Lin and the girls gave it to me when we moved here." Dee fingered the Heart's frame, noting it did not look as impressive in the photo as it did in real life; the glow of the Heart didn't seem to translate visually. "Kinda makes sense to give it to Dee, right? I don't wear it anymore... oh no!"

Dee froze. All she had done was turn the page and Will had freaked. But then she laughed and pointed to a picture of a red-haired toddler playing in a bathtub with a black-haired boy about the same age. "I can't believe you still have this! I made sure to rip up the original... darn it, Tucker! Remind me to kick his butt at Hay Lin's wedding."

Dean laughed. "I remember that picture caused a lot of commotion that summer."

"This is me and a friend of mine named Danny Fenton," Will explained to a relieved Dee. "This very same picture was used for a greeting card a long time ago. I was so embarrassed when everyone at school had one! I think Irma was behind it..." Dee didn't doubt it for a minute.

There were some more baby pictures, some with a younger Susan with bigger hair and red-haired man that Will pointed out as her father; Dee thought he looked very suave, quite a different man than the ruffled Dean Collins. By the time Susan entered the room they were already up to Will's move to Heatherfield and the other Guardians began appearing. ("It was like I had four other daughters," Susan commented on the closeness of W.I.T.C.H. "At least I didn't have to pay their tuition.")

There was also a boy that was so similar to Ingrid it had to be her father and Jamila's crush, Caleb. Dee had to admit he was pretty cute, though he seemed to have a permanently confused expression in his pictures. It might have been since Meridia, uh, _Meridian_ didn't have cameras.

The Collins were the main focus, however, and the album showed their journey from their first Christmas to their last Thanksgiving... which just happened to have a picture of flaming turkey being doused with gravy by a younger Ingrid. "It still tasted pretty good," Dean recollected while Susan just closed her eyes and sighed.

It was cool to see the younger Guardians and the occasional pic of Ingrid, Nola and Jamila, but most of Dee's focus was on the shots of Will. Maybe if she took in enough of the photos of her new parent it would be like she had been here her whole life instead of elsewhere. It was kind of a stupid thought, but what the hell? It made her feel good.

"You kept your hair the same," Dee noted absently, "except in college. Busy studying?"

"Pretty much," Will groused, looking at a photo of herself with messy hair that ran down her back. "Oy... Irma said I looked like a hippie. I hate it when she's right, she gets all smug. Oh, well. Next time I'll sic you on her and see how smug she looks then!"

Dee smirked. "Let me at her!" The others laughed, even Susan.

"Taranee took some pictures of you at the dinner, we'll put some of those in here later. The girls and I have an album of our own at Cornelia's house that Ingrid can show you. It's the kind of photos you can't show parents or nosy sisters!" Will winked at her family who looked immediately suspicious.

"You make it sound like they're continuing the tradition?" Bee asked, her face speculative.

"They are kinda. We're W.I.T.C.H., well, and today Hay Lin dubbed Dee and the girls D.J.I.N.N. which is..."

"The original Arabic word for genie," Bee finished. "That's... interesting."

Dee remembered that Bee had possibly suspected something when she was younger and W.I.T.C.H. was still active. The new Keeper told herself to be very careful around this girl when it came to Guardian stuff. It was supposed to be a big secret, but Dee had no idea how Will had kept it hidden with this close a family.

Dee worried that Bee might try to question her when Will wasn't around; Bee didn't seem to be putting on an act with her seemingly good nature, but only dumb people used hostility to get information out of others and Bee was definitely not dumb. Dee, however, wasn't sure how her own intelligence stacked up against Beatrice's; most likely it didn't and she was a little concerned that Bee would sweet-talk something out of her.

Will and Dee closed the album together and sat it back on the table. After having the cold leather on her for over an hour, Dee rubbed her chilled knees with her hands to warm them up. Will noticed and said, "Let's go to my old room and get you something warm to wear. Agh, I sound like you already, Mom. 'Wear a sweater over your t-shirt, baby, you can take it off if it gets warm.'"

Susan curled her nose at her daughter, mildly annoyed/amused at Will's comparison. "Well, you're going to have to do more than get her a sweater. Besides enrolling her in school I imagine she'll need a physical, especially after a year on her own."

Dee's back straightened and she looked concerned. "A what?"

"Just a check-up," Will assured her. "We can use my doctor, he's very nice. If you were a cat or dog I could do it myself, though you seem okay from what I can tell. Still, better safe than sorry. I'll schedule an appointment for Monday afternoon."

"Um... okay. Are they expensive?"

"Don't worry about it, it's just a few procedures. Heart rate, eyesight, that sort of thing. Oh! And the dentist, you need to see them, too, at least for a check up. Do your teeth hurt anywhere?" Dee shook her head; Bee and Susan smiled wryly at each other as Will fussed over her new daughter. "How about your... you know_... womanly things_?"

"I think I'll get dinner started," Dean said as he quickly exited the room. Some things were not meant for the ears of men.

* * *

It had never occurred to Elyon how big her throne room was. Being concerned about the size of anything seemed like an obsession more suited to her late, not-so-great brother. But as she sat on the lone throne and stared at the rich carpets and stately decorations, the Queen realized it was a big space that was almost completely barren despite the trappings.

Sure, her customary guards were there, diligently scanning the room for any signs of intrusion. The Meridian Royal Army once was the domineering arm of the hated Phobos and treated just as badly as the people they had unwillingly oppressed, clothed in ragged loincloths and minimal armor while wielding rusted weapons left over from less peaceful times in their world's history.

Now they were clad in full-body blue suits of Meridian steel with armaments as beautiful as lethal weapons could be, because Elyon insisted on the best protection for those that put their lives on the line in her name. Never in the history of the royal family was a matriarch as loved as Elyon. She had the whole kingdom with her and yet...

Elyon inspected her nails. Perfect. Nothing to work on. _Sigh_.

Maybe she could help with the preparations for the banquet? No, they would never let her do any physical labor, she was the "delicate little Queen." Well, what then? What do bored queens do to pass the time?

Inspect stuff. Yeah, that was a good one. Elyon rose and said to Tynar, "I've got to stretch my legs, Ty. I'm about to go stir-crazy sitting on my royal butt."

Tynar, usually serious to a fault, cracked a smile at Elyon's words as he fell in behind her. "Yes, M'Lady."

Within the walls of the castle Elyon could be travel with the company of just one guard, mainly because there was usually another guard at every corner, if not two. Elyon greeted every one of them by name as she passed through the halls to the garden situated in the middle of the grounds. It was Elyon's favorite place in the whole of her lands, beautiful and peaceful as Eden as anywhere could be.

Most days. Currently, the sounds of men yelling, heavy thuds and the clang of steel broke the silence that normally pervaded the sanctum. Elyon recognized the voices and smiled; it seemed that Caleb was giving his replacement a thorough working over before he relinquished his position as Captain of the Guard.

Elyon held a finger up to her lips to signal Tynar to remain silent, then crept over to the bushes in a sneaky manner more becoming a thief than a queen. She carefully parted the rose bushes and immediately began to enjoy the show.

Both Caleb and Drake were bare-chested and sweating profusely, Elyon noted with glee; their lean muscles were an impressive sight as they flexed from the exertions of the sword-fight the two were having. The queen was a little disconcerted that they were using real swords instead of wooden mock-ups, but both had been training since they were too young to shave; not using real weapons would belittle their skill at this point.

Not that their skill was why Elyon was interested by them, of course. She could almost see Tynar rolling his eyes at her voyeurism, but Elyon found little harm in just looking, even if both men were married and out of reach.

As she watched Caleb block an over head blow from Drake and pin the other man's sword to the ground, Elyon remembered the first time she'd met him before Will's thirteenth birthday party nearly twenty years ago. She-and Alchemy and pretty much every other girl at the party-had been head over heels for the strange mannered, but more importantly hot, boy who said the weirdest things and jumped out of windows. Elyon had noted Cornelia's subtle interest back then, but had thought she stood a reasonable chance since her friend hadn't yet staked her claim.

Well, the claim was staked now. Elyon mused that in some other life in some alternate universe (or multiverse, she could never get that straight) she and Caleb may have been more than Queen and vassal. He was practically like a father to Nola already, it wasn't that much of a stretch. Maybe they would have had other children and retired to their room each night to recount their day and make love in the dark.

Regret watered down lust as she realized how alone she was now that Nola was taking her first steps toward her new life, while Elyon was still stuck in her old, insanely busy existence. The demands of rebuilding a kingdom, hell, a whole world had taken longer than Phobos had done to muck it up in the first place. Then there was trying to re-establish Meridian's place in the universe; often Candracar had called upon the world for aid, particularly Elyon's, and though one could theoretically say no to the Oracle, Elyon was sure no one asked in the first place would ever say so. It really was annoying when a man knew what you were going to say before you did.

And that wasn't even the biggest obstacle she faced in her love life. She was the frikkin' Queen, a position just shy of a deity in her world's eyes. It wasn't like she could head into town and meet guys at a pub, no; the last time she tried that over a hundred eligible bachelors had bent their knees before she got through the door. Even more annoying, not a one of them had proposed marriage.

So where do royals make love connections? With other royals, or at least nobility that aren't quite as in awe of you as the common man. To that end, Elyon had met with just about every single noble in all the lands; the fact she was still unmarried when the age of consent in Meridian was fifteen said a lot (or rather _didn't_) about her prospects in those elite social circles.

Most of them were boring at best while some were downright annoying, what Irma called "Prima Donalds" as they preened their self-image in the form of conversation; it was like they were flaunting their DNA to add to the royal gene pool. Some of the braver ones tried innuendo, often badly and as subtle as a concussion. And the really, _really_ stupid ones insinuated that Elyon needed a proper heir instead of her beautiful but still _common_ adopted daughter.

These brave idiots got the cold shoulder from the queen-literally, as they found they drinks frozen and stuck to their hand within seconds by some "quirk" of Elyon's powers that she promptly and insincerely apologized for, a tactic Elyon referred to as being a "diplomatic bitch." _Nobody_ talked about her little angel like that.

And now her angel was flying away. Ingrid's advice to Nola about getting an Earth boy seemed like a good idea for her mother as well, or at least someone from another planet. Maybe the girls knew someone from their many missions to other dimensions; at this point, Elyon was seriously considering lifting her "humanoids only" rule.

As Elyon was lost in her rather disturbing thoughts about the rock-men of Aridia, she barely noticed Caleb as he signaled to Drake to end their duel. "Not bad," Caleb said in his deep voice that reminded many of his father; with his thin beard he now strongly resembled Julian as a younger man, but with the softer features ironically inherited from his mother. "Your defense was a little loose, I could have got your legs a few times, but other than that you did alright."

Drake looked a little more winded and took a moment to catch his breath before answering. "Hmph! I can't believe I used to dip your scrawny ass in the Leech Pond to make you cry like a baby. This is payback, isn't it?"

"I barely remember that," Caleb said with a wide grin. However he had grown over the years, Elyon reflected that he still had a lot to learn about guile. "If you're going to protect the queen, you'd better be at your best. I think Ingrid could have taken you down just now."

Drake wrung the sweat out of his blonde hair and shrugged. "Hey, that girl's got Guardian blood in her veins; I'm not going to whine if she can beat an old man like me."

Elyon chuckled at that statement since Drake was only a few years older than Caleb. This got the attention of the two guardsmen and they stared wide-eyed at the sight of their matriarch hunched over in the rosebushes. "Don't mind me," Elyon said cavalierly even as she blushed slightly. "Just admiring the view."

Both of the hardened warriors looked as sheepish as school boys as they realized Elyon had been spying on them; they tried to cover it up by snapping to attention and bowing to her. "Your Highness!" Caleb said. "How may we serve?"

Many very naughty ideas came to Elyon's mind, but she pushed aside for the sake of the men's wives as she rounded the rose bushes. "Just getting some fresh air before the banquet. Are you ready to see your wife, '_Dad_'?"

Caleb smiled as he threw on a shirt and began buttoning it up; one did not walk around half-naked in front of the queen, though Elyon certainly wouldn't have minded. "Of course, but I don't think she'll be happy to see me. I remember how she was last time... not that she isn't entitled, I mean."

_Good thing he remembers_, Elyon thought. It would save him a lot of trouble. And pain. "Well, whatever Cornelia says she does miss you. And she hates you, but that's mostly the hormones talking." A pause. "Mostly."

Caleb groaned softly as Elyon slapped herself in the forehead, nearly knocking her tiara off. "Oh, god, I totally forgot! Caleb, I want to be the first to congratulate you: the new Guardians have been chosen, and Ingrid is the Earth Guardian."

"Really!" Caleb gave a booming laugh. "She must be thrilled! I'm guessing that Nola is the Water Guardian?" Elyon looked surprised at his deduction. "Even I could figure that one out, what with her powers and all. Congratulations yourself, Your Highness."

"Yes, well, I am proud... I'm just missing her already. Please don't tell her that, okay? She'll feel bad if she thinks I'm distracted because of her."

Caleb nodded. "I promise. Who are the others?"

It was a fairly direct question to ask a royal, but Elyon never stood on ceremony if she could avoid it and Caleb was practically family; but not family enough that he couldn't be eye-candy, like a brother-in-law, perhaps. "Two of them are friends of Ingrid. Jamila, of course, and a new girl that you haven't met yet. The Keeper... oh, I love that I'm the one that gets to tell this..." She told her vassals about Dee and her encounters with the former Guardians, finishing with Will's decision to adopt the runaway. "They're so perfect, it has to be the Heart at work bringing them together."

Tynar and Drake were regaled with the tale but Caleb frowned. "This spider creature worries me. If it was following this Dee, it must know quite a lot about Guardians. I think I need to finish up here and get back to Earth. I'll get started on the rosters and deployments right away." He turned to leave.

"Uh, Caleb?" Elyon prompted. "You, ah, have to appear at the banquet, remember? It's to honor _you_ and your father, remember?"

Caleb stopped and blinked. "Oh... right. I, uh, should clean up a little, maybe?"

Elyon wrinkled her nose as the wind blew from Caleb to her. "If you don't, I'll make it a royal edict. Whew!" Drake laughed heartily, then sniffed under his own arm and made a disgusted face.

* * *

Jamila held the sun in her hand.

Figuratively, of course, as she shielded her eyes from Earth's star as it returned with a vengeance after the over-cast morning and lit up the windows of the buildings in the downtown area. For nearly half her life Jamila had lived in Heatherfield and because of that she was very comfortable within the city.

It hadn't been that way at the start, though. Her arrival to the city had been precipitated by the untimely deaths of her parents, two scientists who were working in Japan at a laboratory jointly run by the Japanese, American and European Union governments. Though she had lived elsewhere the small community located outside the base was all she could recall, staying with her grandmother while her parents worked and learning Arabic from Aqeela or Japanese from the tutoring program on her personal computer.

Home-schooled for the most part, Jamila had shown a voracious appetite for learning that no course schedule could satisfy. Labeled as a child prodigy by even her intelligent parents, her father had often joked she was after his job; a horrified Jamila had strongly denied this and was confused at her family's laughter. How was funny that she'd make her daddy get fired? Adults were weird.

There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the day she became an orphan. Jamila thought she should remember things, like what she had for breakfast or what she was wearing. All she remembered was the sky was overcast and her hair was in pigtails instead of her now customary head scarfs and shawls, but her most vivid memory was seeing the soldiers driving by very quickly and the columns of smoke in the air before her grandmother hustled her inside.

To this day Jamila wasn't sure what happened. She had run searches on the internet and tried every source she could think of, such as contacting people who had served at the lab and base surrounding it, but the whole thing had been classified. So much so that most of those who knew what happened had gently (and sometimes not so gently) told her to count her blessings and stop asking questions. Her grandmother had mentioned something about an explosion, but that was it.

There was a mass funeral for all those lost besides the Sahrzads, nearly thirty in all, the commanding officer of the base calling it a "terrible tragedy" and saying nothing beyond that. The bodies had to be cremated for some reason, which Jamila later felt relief that she would never have the image of her parent's corpses in her mind. Each life lost was instead symbolized by a gas-lit torch with a plaque with the person's name and rank or position; her parents were, fittingly, on a single plaque with Drs. Rahim and An Sharzad in raised letters. Jamila couldn't look at the names but stared into the single torch that symbolized her parents' singular existence.

Years later, as Jamila was staring into the black screen of Hay Lin's computer in fact, she would make the connection when the torch inexplicably went from yellow and red to blue-white as she poured her grief into it. She also recalled that she felt better afterward, like the fire had purified her heart with its heat.

Eager to get Jamila away from that place, her grandmother Aqeela had accepted a job with Simultech Software Company as an officer manager that had suddenly arrived in her email account, despite her being retired for several years. The move to Heatherfield was little more than a blur and suddenly her grandmother was dropping Jamila off for her first ever day of school at Weisman Elementary.

The biggest shock was how many kids there were, Jamila often reflected. She had played with the kids in Japan often enough, but there was never more than a few at a time. At Weisman there were dozens of them, of all races and creeds yammering in English like it was soon to be a dead language. Aqeela had escorted her to a first grade classroom and assured her that she would be there to pick her up when school let out, making sure the headscarf that once belonged to Jamila's mother was securely fitted around her granddaughter's head. 

Mature for her age (and partially because she was scared out of her mind) Jamila had made no fuss as her grandmother left and the teacher directed everyone to a large rug so they could introduce themselves.

Jamila was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear her name called and the teacher nearly marked her absent before she spoke up-in Japanese, no less. She switched quickly to Arabic than English but the damage had already been done: she was the Weird Girl Who Couldn't Talk Right. That, combined with her unusual head wear had marked her as "different," a label almost as bad as a scarlet letter on her chest saying she was an adulterer. Innocent giggles had made her blush and stare at her lap, which led to her missing the obvious interest of the tall girl with the light blue eyes.

The next few hours consisted of re-teaching the class how to write their names (Jamila could do this in the Roman alphabet, Arabic writing and Japanese Kanji, but decided to stick with the English spelling) as well as counting and alphabetic activities that she completed easily. Recess came as they filed off to the cafeteria for their milk cartons and were unleashed on the playground.

Jamila stood by herself as her classmates chugged their milk and played on the jungle gym. The slide looked like fun, but she didn't want to do anything that would make her seem weird. Well, not again.

Even with her excellent memory she could not remember the boy's name, only that he was suddenly in her face and ironically telling her, "You can't talk right!" like it was a mortal sin.

Startled, Jamila tried to leave but the larger boy blocked her and said, "My daddy says t-owl heads like you gonna kill us! Huh! You gonna do that?"

"N-no," Jamila had said, "I do not want to hurt anyone..."

"Liar!" He batted her milk to the ground and grabbed Jamila's arm so hard she cried out in pain. "I'm gonna hurt you first!" Jamila had, in her young mind, honestly thought he was going to kill her. There were no teachers around to see them and she had never met a person so angry in her entire life.

As the boy cocked back his fist to deliver the blow, a voice yelled "JERK!" as the boy was hit by blur that sent him flying and broke his grip on Jamila. The tall girl Jamila had barely noticed in her class was suddenly standing there looking twice as angry as the boy had been. "You don't hit girls!" she screamed at the stunned boy. "We hit back! You want to fight me, you, you... JERK?"

The girl's limited vocabulary did limit to dampen the impact she had on Jamila's persecutor. The boy burst into tears and ran off, fated to become a better person for the experience if only out of fear of Ingrid Hale.

"Yeah, you better run!" Ingrid had called out to the boy, kicking dirt in his general direction just on principle. "When I'm a Guardian you're REALLY gonna be in trouble!" Ingrid then shook a little fist for good measure and turned to Jamila, her rage quickly transforming into concern. "Are you okay, babe? Are you hurt? Man, I sound like Aunt Irma!" The tall girl had giggled at the idea.

Dazed, Jamila shook her head. "No... I'm alright. Thank you. That was very brave."

"What, that?" Ingrid made a dismissive gesture. "Aw, he wasn't nothing. Do you want me to kick him? 'Cause I can do that if you want."

Jamila had smiled shakily. "That's okay. I'm sure he didn't mean it..."

"Hey, don't stick up for him! Oh... your milk's all gone," Ingrid had pointed out. "Here, you can have mine." She had taken a carton out of the hood of her jacket and showed it to Jamila. "My Unka keeps stuff like that in his hood, but it's usually gross stuff."

"Don't you need that?" Jamila had pointed out. "It's got vitamins and minerals that are good for you."

Ingrid had chuckled. "My Aunt Will makes me eat all kinds of stuff that's "good" for me, yuck! I get enough of that." Jamila had accepted the milk carton and was surprised when Ingrid thrown an arm around her and started talking. _Non-stop_. "That thing on your head is pretty cool, are you bald? My other uncle, he's bald, too, I don't think he can grow hair, though. What do you like to do? I like to play ball and video games, but Aunt Will doesn't let me play them a lot. She's a veter-narian, a doctor for animals like my cat. His name is Napoleon and he was my Aunt Lily's cat but now he's mine. All he does is sleep, though. And eat. Aunt Will keeps saying she'll 'fix' him if he doesn't get more exercise, which makes him really nervous but I don't know why..."

_Looking back it all makes sense now_, Jamila thought as she helped Cornelia get into her mother's car. The strange terms and the closeness of Ingrid's aunts, whom Jamila had always thought of as a single unit instead of five separate people, now fit together with the new knowledge of what a Guardian was.

It was too early to tell what effect this development would have on her life in the long term, of course, but Jamila had never had concrete plans for the future. She was intelligent, yes, and a graceful dancer-or so Miss Cook had told her at the Jensen Dance Academy-but a definite career had never crossed her mind. A scientist like her parents, a famous dancer or a professor at a university and perhaps even a wife and mother at some point; all were likely paths in her life, but none had been chosen.

Jamila wondered if that factored into her choosing as a Guardian in first place, her open future, and that led her to speculate about the other girls. Ingrid seemed to want to be a Guardian more than anything and from what Jami knew of Nola from their off-and-on friendship over the years the princess was always trying to help others; obviously, they must have been the top choices.

Nestis, with her recent loss and uprooting from the place she'd lived all her life, may actually have needed something like Guardianship to fill the hole left by her father's passing; Jamila had noted the similarity between her exodus to Heatherfield and the new girl's as soon as she'd haltingly told her story that first day at the _Silver Dragon_.

Dee didn't seem to care about being the Keeper of the Heart as long as she got to stay with Will; perhaps not the purest attitude, but it was honest and Jamila thought that Dee would do her best if she wanted to make Will proud of her. Jamila hoped things were continuing to go well at the Collins but resolved not to contact Dee so as to not distract her from, as Ingrid called it, "buttering up the g.p.'s." Even after all these years Jamila never ceased to be amused at Ingrid's way of looking at the world, while Nola just seemed exasperated by her oldest friend's... eccentricities.

Their argument as they placed Cornelia's luggage in Elizabeth Hale's trunk was a perfect example of this. "No, Ingrid, you may _not_ 'play' with my hair! The last time I allowed that you turned half my head bright orange! I couldn't bear to leave my room for a week!"

"I admit, mistakes were made," Ingrid said solemnly. Mock-solemnly, anyway. "I thought that adding Threbeian beetle extract would increase your's hair's bounce-and you have to admit, it did-but the whole orange-y side-effect was totally unexpected."

"Was it? I would have thought the fact that Threbeian beetle are _bright orange_ in coloration might have given you a clue?"

"Okay, now you're just splitting hairs, Nollie. Ha! Splitting hairs! Oh, that reminds me, I have this new curling technique I've been working on..."

"Then try it out on Napoleon, if you must. I've suffered enough at your hand and I won't submit myself to any more of your tortures until you've been certified by a _respectable_ hair-styling school."

"Oh, but Napoleon's hair isn't long enough! Nollieeeeeeee!"

Nola's eye twitched. "A few inches. That's all you're getting."

"Yes!" Ingrid embraced Nola and swung her around in a circle. "Who's my girl? _You're_ my girl!"

"_Sigh_... it would appear so," Nola said calmly even as she was spun around. "Does she man-handle you like this, Jamila? Or am I just the lucky one?"

"Oh, how I wish," Jamila said in an exaggerated tone of regret, then quickly took her seat in the car so as not to be grasped by Ingrid.

Elizabeth Hale, Ingrid's grandmother and the driver for the trip to Cornelia's house, smiled at Jamila in the rear view mirror. The two knew each other fairly well from all the years she and Ingrid had been friends. "Thank you for helping me with the dishes this morning, Jamila. My, you were up early; Ingrid didn't roll out of bed until eleven."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Hale. I do it at home all the time, it's just natural to me."

"I wish it would come naturally to _Ingrid_," Elizabeth said as her granddaughter ducked into the car. "And I thought that her mother was a mess at her age." Ingrid and Cornelia looked at Elizabeth with identical expressions of disbelief, like they were shocked by the implication of imperfection. Jamila wondered if the two realized how much they resembled each other; Ingrid had always maintained she was nothing like her mother, something that had always struck her friend as odd.

Countless girls around the world wanted to be like Cornelia Hale, but apparently not her own daughter. Jamila found that somewhat sad but not unexpected; Cornelia's absences had taken their toll on Ingrid, who had compensated by becoming largely indifferent to her mother.

Even now Ingrid was more focused on their upcoming evening than visiting with her recently returned parent. "Do you think Dee likes pizza? Scratch that, she'll probably eat anything that's put in front of her, poor baby. What about you, Nessie? What are you hungry for?"

Nestis shrugged and smiled wanely, which Jamila had noticed was how she was always smiled. _How hard it was to smile at first_, Jamila remembered, _even with Ingrid as entertainment_. "I'm pretty much like Dee, so it doesn't matter."

"Pepperoni, then. Everybody loves pepperoni, it's the international standard of pizza toppings. Or maybe that's cheese. Nola, I still got some of those nasty vegetables that you like, ya health nut. Would it kill you to break this semi-vegan diet you've been on for practically forever?"

"It would eventually," Nola said evenly. "You shouldn't eat so much junk food yourself, it makes you hyperactive."

"Naw, I'm hyperactive because I love life. And soda. So, we're taking Dee to school Monday, how long until we start looking for a boyfriend for her?"

"Boyfriend?" Jamila repeated in confusion. "Isn't that a little sudden?"

"Hey, I asked how long until we _started_ looking, Jami. I'm not going to rush her or anything, it's just that I have the perfect candidate in mind for our boss-for Dee."

The other girls stared at Ingrid waiting for her to elaborate, but all the Earth Guardian did was stare out the window as the car sped to her house. "Ingrid..." Nola prompted. "You were saying?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry, but I'm going to keep that a secret, don't want to jinx it." The other girls groaned. "Hey, I'm not being coy here, I really do have a plan."

"That," Nola said grimly, "has never boded well."

_No_, Jamila thought with a smile, _but it is always interesting_.

* * *

Author's Note: I took Greki's review that Jamila seemed to be the least developed of the girls as a challenge and made sure to include her in this chapter. I used a lot of my own experience at my first elementary school as reference, though of course I didn't speak and write in three languages and was kind of a brat that picked fights with bigger boys that whupped me, but I was nice to the girls, of course. Ingrid would have _so_ made me her slave on her playground, though, just like she does when I write her dialogue-_she takes control of me_! I guess it doesn't help she's bascially me with girl-parts.

The sweaty Caleb scene goes out to strayphoenix, who would probably hug my neck if we didn't live hundreds of miles apart, and everyone else who's been wanting to see Cornelia's man-toy. Maybe I can fit a mention of Matt in eventually, but all you need to know really is that he and Will are splitsville and never married, and that the other girls and Susan HATE him. I'll leave it to your imagination as to what that means.

Weisman Elementary is named in honor of Greg Weisman, a producer of Season Two and creator of another popular Disney show _Gargoyles_.

I took the idea of a lab accident in Japan from an X-Box game called Breakdown; don't worry, not a crossover or anything.

Elyon's old house/Collins' current home does have a swimming pool as seen in "C Is For Changes."

The Jensen Dance Academy is taken from the comics. Literally, I picked up the building and ran off with it. I'm frickin' Superman!

Will's "nudie pic" is a nod to my Never Too Young story, a crossover story with WITCH and other cartoon shows; the boy in the picture is Danny Fenton from Danny Phantom and Tucker Foley is from that show, too. If you're reading that consider this a little spoiler to watch for. I don't want to call DJINN a straight-up crossover fic, but characters from other shows will pop in from time to time like at Hay Lin's wedding and Elyon's banquet.


	10. The Many Faces of Love

**Disclaimer**: D.J.I.N.N. is based on copyrighted material owned by Disney and is a profitless fan venture. Wait, why am I doing this again? Oh, yeah... reviews.

**Author's Note**: Chapter Ten, hoo doggy! How far we've come, huh?

I can't believe I just typed, "hoo doggy."

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Many Faces of Love**

"She seems nice."

Will looked up at her mother as she set the table for dinner. "Who, Dee? She is. All things considered, she's fared pretty well." The last part was almost a dare for Susan to say different.

"I know," Susan replied. "Really. I understand that, and though this isn't the way I would have preferred to get grandchildren, I'm also very proud that you're doing this."

Will blinked in surprise. "Oh, well... it's no big deal. It was either get a kid or a cat. I have enough cats at the shelter."

Susan smiled at that. "Well, the only real concern I have are these foster parents Dee told us about; I hope they won't cause trouble, and if they were that bad we should report them."

"Dee gave Irma their names last night; she said she'd check them out Monday. If Dee needs to talk to a counselor, well, there's always Taranee. I'm on this, Mom, really."

"I know, I know! It's great to see you so... eager. I have a feeling this girl is going to be good for you."

Will stared at her mother for several long seconds. "Wow, you really are desperate for grandchildren."

"Hush up and hand me the napkins, smart aleck." Susan caught the napkins as Will threw them at her and laughed; even if this girl did bring some trouble into their lives it was worth it to see Will trying something new.

Since moving to Heatherfield nearly two decades ago Susan had done everything possible to make a better life for her first daughter. She had pressured Will into studying hard from junior high through college so that she would never be in the position that her mother had been after her divorce. Susan had wanted Will to be independent, able to stand on her own and she had proven to be able to do just that. Unfortunately, Will seemed to have taken the lesson to the extreme.

When Cornelia had given birth to Ingrid she began taking her figure-skating and modeling careers seriously to provide for her family (her baby's father had for some reason been unable to get work except as a bodyguard for his cousin Elyon as she showed her art around the world, something about being born outside the country.) This left Ingrid primarily in the care of her grandparents, but since the Hales weren't able to keep up with the rambunctious child and handle the teen-aged Lilian Cornelia's friends had helped with the girl's upbringing.

Especially Will. Whatever maternal urges Susan's daughter might have had were sated as she bonded with Cornelia's offspring. Balancing school and working at Herbert Olsen's pet shop Will had also taken on the role of mother to Ingrid and done a fine job with the girl, Susan thought.

Even if Ingrid was a walking natural disaster with unlimited energy and a tendency to unwittingly destroy Susan's property with her antics. It helped that she was so lovable and sweet, or Susan would never let her run loose in her house again. She had always thought Will was a handful, only to have Ingrid come along and show her how wrong she was.

Even now Ingrid was more responsive to Will than Cornelia or any of the other girls-women, Susan reminded herself. It was proof-positive that Will would make an excellent mother, yet until Dee had shown up she had shown no inclination to be one. Or find someone to start a family with.

The logical argument was that Will was capable of making her decisions and had chosen to remain single and childless of her own accord. Still, Susan felt very strongly that this wasn't the case and blamed someone else for Will's lonely existence: Matthew Olsen.

Susan couldn't say for sure whether she had ever liked the boy Will had started dating at thirteen; Will had kept Matt separate from her mother as much as possible for reasons she didn't know and they had only been together a year before a talent scout had discovered Matt's band. Actually, more like Matt himself as he sang a song composed in honor of his girlfriend.

In one of those ironic twists that convinced people that God was playing a sick joke on them, that very song had taken Matt away from Will and launched him and his band into stardom. Months turned into years as Matt toured all over the world and made album after album, stopping by to see Will a few times a year but missing everything that was important in her life: birthdays, proms, even graduation.

And all the time Will had waited for the spotlight to fade and the final concert where Matt would take off his guitar and walk off-stage into her arms; this never happened, at least not for long. The only positive effect was that Will began to focus on her school work with frightening intensity, becoming the Salutatorian to Taranee's Valedictorian. It hadn't taken Susan long to recognize the familiar (and familial) signs that Will was working hard to stave off heart-break at being perpetually stood up by her man.

Yet when Susan suggested Will try dating other boys she had fixed her mother with a stare that made it seem like Susan had just endorsed adultery. This had continued through high school and college with the contact between the two dwindling from extended visits to short voice-mails. Beatrice and Ingrid were born and they helped Will forget for a time, but they weren't her children that she wanted to have with that Olsen boy. That Olsen boy who was living it up like he was the second coming of Elvis Presley while Will waited for him to come home like a soldier gone to war, only he was fighting off crowds of fanatical girls instead of anything life-threatening.

That really, really pissed Susan off. Did Will ever realize that she was the second love in Matt's life, next to music? Susan didn't know; all she did know was that the death of Matt's grandfather had finally ended the relationship only five years ago. In another small but sad irony, Will and Matt's on-and-off relationship had lasted almost as long as Susan's first marriage.

After it was officially over Susan had begun the long campaign of setting up Will with the most respectable young men she could find. Whether Will was still hung up on Matt or not, she politely fought Susan at every turn and even the minor victories of a dinner date were quickly dashed by Will's pickiness.

It was like Will was bored by the very men Susan wanted as son-in-laws; Susan was very well aware that was exactly the case, as Will had actually fallen asleep while listening to one of her dates talk about his high-paying job. Will was giving them a fair chance like she said she would, but there were no sparks of the kind that had kept the romance going with Matt even with months of absence.

Granted, not every man could be a famous musician but Susan knew that Will wasn't that shallow; she had honestly loved Matt like Susan loved Dean. Life was just passing her by, a fact that Susan was unable to accept. Could it really be that hard for Will to find personal happiness instead of basking in the glow of her friends' careers and families?

And then this Dee showed up. Will was making plans, showing enthusiasm for the future and staking her claim around the girl like she was a gold mine. As forthright as Will was being about matters Susan knew that there was something that was being kept from her, a feeling she had had ever since coming to Heatherfield years ago. There was no hint of what was being kept secret or even if there was one, but Susan knew that something more had happened last night than was being said.

She had never had this feeling with Beatrice, who was just as much an open book as a teenager as she was as a child. And now this Dee was another piece of a puzzle that Susan felt she'd never solve.

All Susan could do was give a metaphorical shrug and just try to be happy for Will. She'd feel even better if Will started dating again. One step at a time, though. One step at a time.

* * *

**/-\D/-\**

"And this is my room," Bee said to Dee as she opened a door in the hallway. "It's a little messy-it always is-but I'm working on a few projects at the moment so it's a little worse."

_It's like walking into a lab_, Dee thought to herself. There was a chemistry set on one dresser with different-colored liquids in the vials, one of those new computers that was little more than a monitor with a screen saver running equations and various other scientific tools scattered around the room haphazardly. "Cool," Dee said appreciatively.

"Thanks" Beatrice said as her face flushed, like she wasn't used to compliments. "I love science, I'm such a geek! What do you like to do for fun, Dee?"

Eat was the first thing that came to mind. "Uhhh... don't really have a hobby." The Guardian thing was pretty cool, but no way she could mention that. "School was okay, but I wasn't in love with it or anything. PE was okay, I liked volleyball..."

"So does Ingrid," Bee said. "She loves all sports, but she never joins a team or anything. I bet you'll like Miss Lin's art class, everyone does. Do you want to watch a movie before dinner? That new super hero movie is coming on tonight, it looks real good. But if you want to watch something else..."

"Actually, I kind of did want to see that movie, but..." I couldn't sneak into the movie theater. "Yeah, let's watch it." The new aunt and her niece went into the living room and Bee excused herself to ask Susan if she could order the movie ("Mom handles that stuff, Dad is hopeless with money.")

Left alone, Dee wandered around the living room looking at the pictures on the walls. Lots of family portraits, of course, and some vacation photos of the Collins at one of the Disney theme parks with the Mickey Mouse ear hats; most of them she recognized from the family album. One picture showed W.I.T.C.H. in green-and-purple outfits obviously inspired by Guardian uniforms performing a dance routine, while another was Will in a pretty dress that was likely her senior prom; it surprised Dee that she didn't have a guy with her.

Dee was walking by a device that looked older than her and Bee combined when it said, "Hey."

Adaptable if she was anything else, Dee was already getting used to being the Appliance Whisperer and she merely said, "Hey," back at the machine. "Who are you?"

"Carlos, CD player," the machine said in the voice of a twenty-something Latino man. "Not that I get much play these days, unless Mr. and Mrs. C get the house to themselves and need some soft tunes to get in the mood."

"Ewww..."

Carlos chuckled. "If you think that, you might want to stay off the couch. Signing off, B-Rice is coming back. Catch ya later, D."

Sure enough, Beatrice re-entered the living room and shook her head at Dee. "Geez, you'd think I was asking for a C-note to order the thing! Mom's a little cheap..."

"I heard that!" came from the kitchen. A chuckle that might have been Will's followed the comment.

"Anyway..." Bee picked up the remote and started to punch in buttons. "Do you want to stretch out on the couch, Dee? You look a little beat."

"Uhhhh... I think I'll take a chair. Thanks."

* * *

**/-\D/-\**

"Beep, beep, beep..."

"Ingrid, stop that at once! Your mother is not a truck!"

"I'm just kidding, No-No," Ingrid said as she helped her mother get out of the car. "I know that Mom is bringing two little miracles as a special delivery."

Cornelia chuckled wryly. "It's alright, Nola, I've had years of experience with Irma's sarcasm and I feel like a truck. A big fat truck. Remind me to run over Caleb when he gets back. And then back up and do it again."

Nestis leaned in close to Jamila and whispered, "Do Ingrid's parents fight a lot? Miss Cornelia seems mad at her husband."

Jamila smiled and shook her head. "That's just talk, they're very sweet to each other once they're together." Part of Jamila's attraction to Caleb had been seeing how good a father and husband he was to Ingrid and Cornelia. Jamila had no doubt that once Caleb was home-and, strange to think it, back in this world-he would immediately tend to his wife and endure her hormonal barrage. Jamila privately regretted the twenty years that separated her and Caleb; it did not seem likely that she would ever find someone like him for herself and it had surprised her very little that Caleb was a hero on Meridian. It just seemed to fit him.

The girls carried Cornelia's bags up to the Hales' house while Elizabeth stayed with her daughter and held the arm of the exasperated supermodel as they navigated the perfectly straight and level concrete path. Ingrid transferred one heavy bag of Paris' latest fashions to an equally burdened arm and pressed her hand on a flat gray panel nest to the door; the material of the panel molded to every line and fingerprint until it verified that she at least had the hand of Hale, Julianna Ingrid. She then bent and held an unblinking eye to a small glass circle at the top of the panel; a thin beam flickered and mapped all the blood vessels in Ingrid's retina, passing all the information back into the system to undo the second lock.

For the final lock, Ingrid said in a clear voice. "Ingrid: Guardians Unite." This password was the standard one that said, "Everything is fine, please open up." The other one that said, "Everything is not fine, call Aunt Irma and the cops," was "Ingrid: Phobos." Ingrid's grandmother had no idea where she got the passwords, but Cornelia and the girls knew the inspiration.

As the security system cleared all three tiers of authorization the physical locks on the other side of the door disengaged and opened automatically. "I hope Aunt Will gets something like this for the apartment-not that Dee isn't good security, of course."

"This Dee girl must be pretty formidable," Elizabeth said. The girls chuckled at the understatement.

"But our best security is on the inside," Ingrid said. "Napoleon! Mom's home. Get your furry butt over here and say hello!" A yowl came from inside the house. "Guess he was taking a nap."

"If you girls would put Cornelia's bags in the bed room I'll unpack them up later," Elizabeth said as she helped Cornelia onto the large couch in the living room. As the girls made their way through the halls an old black cat with a grey face and stomach lazily turned around a corner and yawned widely. It fixed its reproachful green eyes on Ingrid, clearly annoyed at being awoken.

"'Sup, 'Leon," Ingrid said cheerfully. "Mom's in the living room." With a long stretch of his body, Napoleon walked down the hallway, threading his way through the girls' feet and greeting them by rubbing his body against their legs... while seemingly avoiding Ingrid's. "Hmph! Maybe I'll finally let Aunt Will 'fix' you after all." Napoleon turned his head and glared at Ingrid, then stuck his tongue out before continuing on his way with his tail stuck up in the air.

"I swear," Jamila said, "Sometimes I think that cat knows exactly what you're saying." Ingrid and Nola exchanged one of their rare expressions of mutual mischief, years of existing with each other allowing them to communicate with their eyes and curled noses. Both were looking forward to surprising their friends with another revelation and the only question was if they should wait for Dee to arrive.

After Cornelia's bags were put away the Guardians returned to the living room to find Napoleon laying on Cornelia's stomach while she scratched his ears. "He seems starved for attention," Cornelia noted.

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "All he does is sleep, how could he be hungry for anything?" Napoleon gave a start as one of the twins kicked and jumped off Cornelia to wind his ways through Nestis' legs. The new girl bent and picked up the cat who meowed and widened his eyes in order to look more kitten-like, quite a feat for an animal nearly two decades old. "You're such an affection-whore, 'Leon."

"Me-rowwww," Napoleon protested, his voice much deeper than that of most cats. Contrary to her earlier behavior, Ingrid reached over and rubbed his ears just as affectionately as her mother had.

"I'll start dinner," Elizabeth said as she entered the kitchen.

"I could eat a horse!' Cornelia said. "I'm not kidding, I could!" The girls laughed, Nestis and Jamila stopping and looking embarrassed at the slip. Ingrid slipped her mother's shoes off and started rubbing her swollen feet. "Ooooh... thank you, baby. How did you know?"

Jamila thought that Ingrid looked more embarrassed at Cornelia's praise than when she had ripped her pants while playing basketball a year ago. "Uh, Aunt Irma's feet hurt all the time when she had Tommy. Yours smell a lot better, though."

"Thank you, honey." Cornelia placed her hand on Ingrid's head. "You're getting so tall... you could almost pass for your father when he was your age, if you weren't so pretty."

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Dad was a hottie at that age judging from the photos... right, Jami?"

"Ahem?" Jamila said, looking thrown by the question. "Er... I... can't recall..." Ingrid thought about pointing out that Jamila had been looking at a hanging photo of the younger WITCH and Caleb at their junior prom, but there was being funny and then there was just being cruel.

* * *

**/-\D/-\**

There were three things that Caleb absolutely could not stand in life: the late Prince Phobos, swooning female admirers (Irma called them "fan-girls") that threw their underwear at him or tried to sneak into his quarters and-perhaps most of all-dressing up.

He tugged on the collar of his dress jacket like a man trying to loosen the noose that was choking the life out of him. The fancy blue uniform worn by the Royal Guard at formal occasions was his greatest foe, one he only conquered through a battle of attrition that lasted throughout the ceremony in question. He thought longingly of his loose tunic and old brown over-coat that had been co-opted by his daughter many years before, though Ingrid had only recently grown into it; had he won freedom against Phobos only to submit to the tyranny of respectable attire? Cornelia would have choice words to say about his lack of regard for fashion, he could imagine.

The thought of his wife and children being alone back on Earth made him even more impatient to just get this ridiculous affair over and done with. Though Elyon had assured him that Cornelia was soon to be under the protection of all five of the new Guardians (and Caleb had every faith in the girls' abilities, of course, having trained two of them) he wouldn't be able to breathe easy until one hand was on his unborn sons and the other gripping his sword. Likely, Cornelia would have also have words about his bringing the sword to bed again after he supposedly broke the habit when they married. As he recalled... "I didn't marry the sword!"

"Not that sword," Caleb had said with a smirk, trying to be smooth. What had happened next? Wild love-making? No, he remembered something furry... Napoleon's tail? Oh, yes... he'd spent the night on the couch with the cat. His love's sense of humor was sometimes hard to decipher.

But before he could see his family he had to suffer (quite literally) through his ceremony. The whole ball was both to honor members of the rebellion and serve as a hob-nobbery for various leaders of the League of Worlds, a federation of universes and planets that had formed in the years following the dissolution of the Veil that kept Phobos confined to Meridian.

WITCH (and by extension Caleb) had played a large role in forming the League which was based on a similar organization from Earth called the United Nations and, once consolidated, ensured that no tyrant like Phobos would ever be able to begin an interplanetary conquest without facing the might of a dozen worlds. The system of mutual aid also helped keep disputes and problems from requiring assistance from Candracar, which had allowed Caleb's wife and their friends to retire from Guardianship at an unusually young age.

Meridian was a major player in the League and one of the worlds afforded a seat on the governing council due to its assistance in forming the organization; as Elyon had put it in one of her speeches, "Meridian once drove the worlds apart, now we bring them together." Caleb himself had trained more militias on more worlds than he could remember and would be sure to meet many old friends tonight. Ordinarily he would be thrilled to swap war stories, but the creature that had attacked Will and the new Keeper was disconcerting him. He reminded himself that the girls had always gotten along fine without him and to just enjoy himself...

If the damn suit didn't kill him first.

Caleb sighed and exited his quarters, checking to make sure that no females were waiting to ambush him from the shadows of the hallway like last time; he doubted Drake would ever let him hear the end of it for having a three-hundred pound kitchen worker old enough to be his mother getting the jump on him. Everything looked clear, so-

"Oh, Caleb!" a shrill voice cried out from the end of the hallway. "Let me have your babies!"

Caleb whirled and braced for the impact of a large woman, only to be hit by something worse: the mocking laughter of Drake and Aldarn. Caleb realized with a grimace that it was his old friend and the god-father of his daughter that had provided the faux woman's voice. His two supposed-allies were laughing heartily at the look on his face, a murderous look that would have struck fear in many others. "If Ingrid didn't like you two so much, I'd kill you both and feed your corpses to Gargoyle."

"Oh, no!" Aldarn said in that shrill voice. "Dear me!"

"You sound like a eunuch," Caleb stated. "And your uniform isn't on straight. Tighten it up; you're representing Meridian tonight."

Aldarn fidgeted with his own uniform. "I'd rather wear a dress than one of these things."

"A blue dress would go great with your skin," Drake suggested.

"You think? I always figured red."

Caleb shook his head. "I cannot believe we freed the kingdom with you two clowns. No wonder I needed the Guardians' help."

Drake and Aldarn made pained faces and clutched their chests as if mortally wounded; Caleb could only wish that were so. "That hurts us, sir," Drake said. "But at least you got a good wife out of it. Heh, so did I, come to think."

"And I didn't?" Aldarn countered. "Besides, Valin only said yes because she felt sorry for you." Drake rolled his eyes and smacked Aldarn in the back of his bald head; within seconds the two were circling and taking mock-jabs at one another.

Sighing heavily, Caleb stepped forward and smacked both of them on their heads to break them up. "Move out, royal jackasses, before I tell your wives why you're late." That sobered up the two better than any physical punishment Caleb could dish out and the three Royal Guards headed toward the throne room.

The emotions Caleb felt whenever he entered the throne room of the royal palace were akin to an Earthen child coming back to the principal's office years after getting in trouble: mild trepidation mixed with relief that one had survived the many visits. Under Phobos' reign Caleb had been brought to the prince on several occasions after being captured; that tended to stick within one's psyche.

Even as the guards opened the door for him he half-expected to see Cedric's smirking face as the villain condescendingly explained that half of Caleb's life was a lie and Phobos was waiting to pronounce judgment on him. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when the crowd of party-goers and a distant Elyon on her rightful throne appeared instead.

His contentment was slightly shaken when a cheer and applause from the crowd washed over him. It wasn't until Drake and Aldarn waved to the crowd that Caleb realized he was the object of the adoration.

It seemed like every being between him and Elyon wanted to shake his hand as the three made his way to the queen's side, even if they didn't have hands (one party-goer stuck a tentacle at him that might have been a hand; Caleb had bowed to the armor-shelled creature.) When they finally freed themselves of the crowd they were welcomed not just by Elyon but Caleb's father Julian (also under assault by a dress uniform), Elyon's adoptive parents and the wives of his "clowns" as well the surprise visitor of Vernacula, Aldarn's sister. Valin, who appeared to be a beautiful woman with long dark hair, leapt onto Drake and wrapped her legs around his waist before licking his nose; Caleb had been on the receiving end of those on occasion, though Val usually reserved them for her mate. It was still pretty funny to see Drake's expression as he returned the gesture.

Vernacula, one of the most popular singers in the multiverse, gave Caleb an appreciative glance before devoting her attention to her current love interest who, like all her love interests, was a near perfect physical specimen of whatever humanoid race he belonged to. Caleb had known her since they were children and had been aware of her affection for him and borderline hero-worship since he had helped rescue her from Phobos when they were teens. With the green skin of her family and pink hair she currently wore waist-length, the affectionately named Verna was surprisingly attractive considering she was Aldarn's sister, Caleb thought.

There had been some friction between her and Cornelia almost immediately, but eventually she turned her affection towards others. She still flirted with Caleb on occasion seemingly just to mess with Cornelia and, as Vernacula explained, remind her to treat her husband well as Caleb was still highly desirable to women. Caleb had to admit to himself that he loved the look on Cornelia's face when she was burning with jealousy; she always "staked her claim" on him afterwards, so Caleb had quite a bit of gratitude towards Verna. It was one of those "claims" that had produced his sons, in fact.

Orube of Basiliade was Aldarn's wife and a former Guardian of Candracar that had been the Keeper of the Heart when Will went to live with her father for a time. Orube looked mostly human but with pointed ears that attested to the bloodline of the cat-like people of her home world. She wore a long robe reminiscent of the council of Candracar which suited her as a diplomat of the center of Infinity (an occupation that would have surprised Caleb when he first met the harsh warrior as a teen) and the student of the Keeper of the Aurameres, Luba, also a Basiliadan as was the current Oracle.

Unlike the wild Valin, Orube's light violet hair was up and arranged in an elaborate head piece that reminded Caleb of something Hay Lin would wear while working at the Silver Dragon as a hostess; likely the Air Guardian taught her the style at some point and Caleb didn't doubt any one of the hair implements could double as a weapon. Maybe that was why she was so successful at diplomacy, Caleb mused: everyone was too scared to disagree with her. Except maybe Aldarn, who whistled at her appreciatively and caused Orube to roll her eyes. "You didn't have to get all dressed up for me, O," Aldarn said. "But it looks good on you."

"I suppose I should thank you for the compliment," Orube said, "but I doubt you'd care what I was wearing after all this time." Orube's work often kept her away Meridian for weeks at a time, a difficult position but Aldarn often joked it meant she would never get tired of him. Indeed, Orube embraced her husband and kissed his cheek, a bold public gesture considering her strict upbringing on Basiliade and almost equivalent to a Valin nose lick for Orube.

Caleb remembered that the first time the two had met Orube had knocked Aldarn on his back for his mangled attempt at a come-on, which only seemed to reel his friend in tighter since Aldarn was a fair hand-to-hand fighter in his own right. "I didn't even see it coming!" Aldarn had exclaimed excitedly after Orube had stomped off and Caleb was trying to stop his friend from bleeding.

"I see you arrived safely, Captain," Elyon said in a polite manner. "I trust you were not waylaided by any assailants from the kitchens?" Drake and Aldarn snorted with barely concealed laughter as they held their wives.

Caleb fought to keep a smile on his face as it in turn fought back for the right to turn into a grimace. "No, milady, everything went well, though I did have to break up a fight between two unsavory types."

"Oh? Were they dangerous?"

"Hardly, milady. They could barely throw a punch." The two unsavory characters glared at Caleb as he smiled neutrally at them. "What are your orders for this evening, your highness?"

"Just enjoy yourself, that's all I ask. But not too much," Elyon added, narrowing her eyes at a gaggle of giggling women that were staring at Caleb's butt; some of them were the rulers of their own worlds which made it all the more pitiful to the Queen. At least she wasn't so blatant about it. "A certain former Guardian asked me to keep an eye on you a long time ago and I promised her I'd zap you if you got out of line." Elyon pointed a finger at Caleb and a yellow spark emerged from it like her digit was a live electrical wire.

Caleb laughed and backed away slowly. "That won't be a problem, believe me. There's nothing I want more than to see my girls again." Something clicked in the little-utilized "decorum" section of Caleb's brain. "Not that I'm not humbled and appreciative of this ceremony, of course."

"It's alright, Caleb," Elyon said as she leaned back in her throne. "I know it's been hard on you being away from your family-and it's been rough on Ingrid and Cornelia, too. Meridian-and me especially-will never be able to repay you for what you've done. But... if you want, you can skip the ceremony. I could make up some excuse or maybe create a doppleganger of you..."

Caleb shook his head. "Thank you, but I know this took a lot of work to set up and I should honor that by attending in person." He paused, then said, "But as soon as it's over, I'm Folding out as fast as I can." He touched the ring on his left hand for emphasis; it and the Earthen wedding band on his right hand were the only ornamentation he wore, not counting the dozens of medals on his chest. But those two rings symbolized the two women who had given him a life: the Folding ring of his tragic mother and the wedding band of Cornelia that he'd made in the forge of Aldarn's father.

Elyon nodded. "I understand perfectly. I'll just tell everyone your wife called and ordered you home on the double." The queen's inner circle laughed at that, each of them familiar with Cornelia's... strong personality.

Elyon's foster father Alborn led his wife Miriadel out onto the dance floor; though human only in appearance due to the magical Glamours they had worn for most of Elyon's childhood, their foster daughter smiled at them with the contentment of a child whose parents were still deeply in love, though Caleb also noticed a hint of sadness in her expression.

He thought it was due to Nola's absence, but it was something that he'd seen many times before and resolved to ask Yan Lin what could be the matter with the queen; despite being surrounded by them for years, Caleb still had no aptitude dealing with women. They were strange beasts. The only one he remotely understood was Orube-bond of warriors and all that-and even then she'd married Aldarn; how did one make sense of that?

"Come on, hubbie!" Valin cried as she yanked Drake toward the dinner tables, "They've got my favorite candied fruits from Zamballa!" Caleb saw Drake's eyes widen in horror and sympathized; when Valin got on a sugar high things tended to get broken around her, much like Caleb's daughter was prone to do.

"Would you care for some punch, dearest?" Vernacula's latest conquest asked her.

"I would love some," Vernacula said as she stroked his goatee (Caleb thought it was a goatee, anyway) with a finger. "Oh, Caleb, before the ceremony I'm singing a song I wrote especially for the occasion, but if you have to go..."

"I'm sure I can wait," Caleb said and Vernacula gave him a small peck on the cheek as she walked away.

Elyon shook her head. "You would think she'd have given up by now."

"Given up what?" Caleb asked, honestly confused. Elyon fixed him with a condescending look and mumbled something about neither Cornelia or Vernacula looking for brains, whatever that meant. "Ahem, anyway... what do I do now?"

"Just schmooze, I suppose," Elyon said. "I'm just going to sit here and look important-and pretty, of course-since no one is going to ask the queen of Meridian to dance." The last part was said with irritation. "I tell ya, Caleb, sometimes I just want to chuck the crown and run away somewhere I can be a serving wench just so I can get hit on by miners or soldiers. Being royal sucks sometimes. I can't believe my rat-brother wanted this so badly. It sure is a gilded cage."

Caleb smiled devilishly. "He was probably compensating for other areas. There have been rumors..."

Elyon chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard those, about his..." She stopped, her head tilting to the side as she stared out into the crowd. There was a face that... she didn't recognize it exactly, but...

"Milady?" Caleb asked, noting the strange look. "Is something wrong, Elyon?"

"Er, I... nothing." What was it about that face that had caught her attention? It was definitely a man, but... she looked at Caleb and saw he was in full bodyguard mode. "Really, it's nothing. Really. Just relax, Captain, I'd let you know if something was up. Now, schmooze, remember? If you have to be here you should at least enjoy yourself."

Caleb looked at the crowd of dignitaries and shrugged. "I'd think I'd enjoy myself more if they were all trying to kill me."

And that's where Ingrid gets it from, Elyon thought. "It's a good thing you're headed to Earth, Meridian is just too boring now-a-days. Hey, isn't that Randor?" Elyon pointed to a muscular middle-aged man with a brown beard and eyes who was walking towards the throne with a brunette woman of similar age; both were dressed in finery but lacked the delicate constitution that most royals possessed.

It made sense if one knew that Randor had been a common yet skilled soldier before being named King of Eternia and Marlena Glenn herself was an astronaut from Earth who was sucked into a natural Fold to end up on Randor's home world; Elyon had written a paper about her for history class when she was a girl and nearly freaked out when she had unexpectedly met her heroine during a W.I.T.C.H. mission. "Randor, Marlena! Welcome to my home! Are you enjoying yourselves?"

"Very much so," Randor said as he and my wife gave Elyon a small formal bow, the proper gesture between those of equal station; Elyon would have preferred to hug their necks but this was a formal function, unfortunately. Randor had been a great mentor to Elyon during her early reign and it was he who had suggested what would one day become the League of Worlds. "You look as healthy as ever, milady."

Marlena playfully elbowed her husband in the ribs. "You're supposed to tell her she looks lovely, dear. I'm sorry, Elyon, I fear that I've scared him off from complimenting other women."

"I'm not afraid!" Randor protested. "And she does look healthy. Right?" He looked at Caleb for back-up, but the Royal Captain just raised his hands in a gesture that said, Leave me out of it! If Randor was under attack by a hundred enemies Caleb would have jumped right in, but there were limits to the trouble he was willing to get into for the man. "Besides, she's young enough to be our daughter; I can't just tell her something like that, Alborn would have my head."

"But you compliment Adora all the time," Marlena pointed out.

"But she is our daughter," Randor pointed out.

Marlena gave Elyon an exasperated look that made the younger queen laugh. "Well, let's not let my incredible beauty sour relations between our worlds," Elyon said dryly. "Are Adam and Teela here? I haven't seen them in forever."

"The Prince and the captain are keeping watch over Eternia in our absence," Randor said. "Everything is peaceful now that Keldor is imprisoned in Cavigor, thanks of course to the Guardians. Other than some bandit raids it's practically idyllic."

"Bandits?" Caleb said, remembering the report he'd read earlier after his duel with Drake. His old comrade Blink had telegraphed him from Torus Leeun and gave a detailed account of the new Guardians mopping up the bandits with impressive ease; Caleb wanted to kiss Taranee for helping to install Meridian's telegraph lines as this information only took hours to reach him instead of the day it would have taken by carrier falcon. "Are they a big problem?"

Randor frowned in the manner of a man that didn't want to reveal his troubles; still, he trusted Caleb and Elyon explicitly and said, "It's causing a... stir, to be sure. We're hardly in dire straits, with the Masters and He-Man making quick work of them. The unfortunate part is that while we've destroyed several of their bases we haven't recovered much of what they've taken. It's like all the stolen goods have dropped off the face of Eternia." Caleb got the meaning behind Randor's words: Or it's been Folded off-planet.

The possibility was disturbing, as the League-wide Folding Gate system was heavily monitored to prevent that exact scheme from working, yet Meridian's forces were having the same problem with their bandits; that meant that someone possessed the knowledge and the ability to open Folds under the nose of Elyon and the entire armed forces of which Caleb was part. That would make the lost wealth that much harder to recover and worse, it indicated there might a larger conspiracy at work. Maybe this was why the new Guardians were chosen now, Caleb conjectured. Dammit! And on the eve of my sons' births, too. Is this because of my mother's blood, that conflict rules our lives? Caleb immediately dismissed that thought; Randor came from a long line of noble warriors and he was having his share of troubles as well. Thinking the universe was out to get him was the kind of self-centered thinking Nerissa would have used, reason enough to avoid it on that principle.

Caleb looked at Elyon who nodded and said to Randor, "We've been having the same troubles, Randor. Just a few hours ago the Guardians stopped a bandit attack on a caravan."

"Oh?" Randor said. "I assumed the Guardians were retired?"

Elyon smiled proudly. "Well, I will announce this later, but the new generation has been chosen and not only are Ingrid and Nola among them, but Will has decided to adopt the girl chosen as the Keeper of the Heart."

"Congratulations to both of you!" Marlena exclaimed. "You must be so proud of her, I'm not surprised either was chosen, Ingrid is quite a fighter and Nola is so mature."

"Adam could learn a thing or two from both," Randor said in a deadpan voice that earned him another elbow jab from his wife. "You see her, Caleb? That's why I didn't worry about surrendering my sword before I entered the room, my wife is the most dangerous weapon in my arsenal!" Everyone but Marlena laughed as she gave her husband a good-natured slap on the arm. "But in all seriousness, we should start coordinating to determine if these attacks are related. I'd like you to be involved, Caleb, if your liege will permit it."

Before Caleb could politely decline Elyon answered for him. "Sorry, but Caleb is about to start an extended leave so he can take care of Cornelia after she delivers his twin boys." More congratulations were heaped on a flustered Caleb. "It wouldn't hurt if you could play Dad with Dee as well, I don't think she's had many good men in her life. I think you'll like her, she stood toe-to-toe with Nola and didn't even blink."

Another teenage girl to deal with? Caleb thought morosely. By the Oracle... I'm supposed to be retired. "I, ah, I'll try to do that. Drake will be replacing me as Captain and I have every confidence that he can handle Meridian's end of the investigation." Even if he's a clown in uniform. "We'll send our best agents to investigate..."

"Then I assume you'll be sending me?" a voice said from behind Elyon's throne.

Caleb's hand reached for the sword that was usually strapped to his back before he recognized the voice and relaxed-but only a little. "Belantha! Don't do that."

A throaty chuckle came from behind the throne. "Ooh, so jumpy! Are you still so scared of me, Long Sword?" A woman dressed in black pants, equally black gloves and an also black sleeveless tunic that showed off a fair amount of cleavage sidled out from behind the throne and sat on the arm of Elyon's chair like she had every right to do so. She was beautiful, but more in the sense that a panther was a lovely creature; with her short ebony hair and brown skin she was almost invisible compared to the lightly-dressed Queen. Her dark eyes looked amused to Caleb, which was pretty much how she always appeared to him.

The amusement was even more unsettling if one knew Belantha's story, or at least as much as Caleb did. He had first met Belantha when Phobos had sent her to kill him; back then Caleb had thought of her as just another sell-sword, albeit a very skilled and sexually-obsessed one. After a few run-ins with W.I.T.C.H. it was revealed to him and the girls that the feared assassin was little more than a slave bound through the blood of her father by the Prince to serve him-more specifically, those in his bloodline like Elyon.

When Phobos met his final fate it seemed that Belantha was finally free, only to find out she was now bound to Elyon. Though Elyon offered to free Belantha of the blood-binding, the requirements to undo the pact of dark magic and blood required an equal amount of dark magic and even more blood; since Elyon wasn't giving her assassination orders Belantha had decided not to worry about it and had taken a job as an agent of the Queen. Overall, it was a step up from being the Prince's assassin as she was not required (and was in fact encouraged to avoid) killing people while still exercising her impressive skills in stealth and information-gathering.

Belantha took a goblet from a server when Caleb realized something. "How did you get in here? I ordered all exits under guard."

"All conventional exits," Belantha said. "Not many of these stuffed-shirts would want to leave by crawling up a length of rope from the tower above this one. Don't worry, Long Sword, my boy's watching the balcony, no need to get your panties in a twist. I love that Earth saying! By the way, milady, how are Mrs. Lin and the girls?"

"How did you know I saw them?" Elyon asked, amused at her agent's deduction. "That visit was under the strictest security."

Belantha gently clucked Elyon under her chin with a finger, an act practically blasphemous for any subject of Meridian yet par for the course when it came to Belantha. Sacrilege was-among other things-her stock in trade. "Simple, Braids. I can smell Mrs. Lin's cooking on you and you're not eating anything because you're full; it can't have been more than an hour or two since you were there. Yes, I'm very impressive, stare if you want." Marlena gave her husband a FIRM squeeze on the shoulder when she realized he was staring at Belantha quite a bit.

"I don't suppose you were there long enough to hear about the bandits?" Caleb asked.

"Been here since everyone was staring at you when you arrived, pretty boy. And no, I don't know where they're keeping the stuff they stole, all the... informants I've questioned don't know, either, it's very need-to-know for a bunch of bandits." Belantha downed her drink and tossed the empty goblet at a server's platter with a flick of her wrist; it landed perfectly on its base without the servant even noticing. "I'm guessing there's some sort of supply train where the bandits unload their spoils to other parties. It's taking me some time to get it all worked out, but it shouldn't be too much longer before I find these gorkars. Congratulations on your girls making Guardian, by the way. It's about time Candracar made a smart move."

Though the comment was made flippantly, Caleb couldn't help but wince. One of the biggest errors in judgment by Candracar had not only produced a mad-woman that had nearly conquered the universe, it had indirectly produced him. That was partly why Caleb had dedicated himself to making sure Meridian would be secure from now on; it was his way of validating his existence as more than a mere pawn of his mother's, though he knew that was a foolish thought.

"If the bandits are using criminal connections," Julian mused, " I bet Roiya could look into it. Well, for a price."

Belantha snorted and looked irritated. "That old cow? Maybe if she took her supplements and ate enough fiber; that pirate should have had a burial at sea by now." Caleb and Julian exchanged an amused glance; Roiya Hall was a famous pirate (and old paramour/enemy of Julian's) who held the incredible position of being the only thing that could get on Belantha's nerves. Because both women were players in the same game they were frequently at odds, both using the age of the other to insult their contemporary.

"Valin!" Belantha yelled out across the throne room, forgetting about her rival for a moment. "You crazy bitch! What have you been up to? I haven't seen you since that bar-fight near Mount Threbe."

Valin bounced over to the throne, carrying a dish full of candies and sweets in each hand. "Hey, B! What 's the haps? The food is great at this shindig, try these candied Zamballa berries!" Valin stuck a berry in her lips and held her face close to Belantha's. Belantha grinned and leaned in to pluck the berry from the other woman's mouth, giving Valin a small peck on the lips as she did so.

Caleb looked over at Drake to see if Valin's husband was jealous; if the dropped jaw and wide eyes were any indication, he was not.

"Do you want a berry, honey?" Aldarn asked his wife hopefully. Orube hit one of the nerve endings in his neck and he dropped to the floor, a fairly typical exchange when he suggested something she didn't like. "Punch, then?"

"Don't tempt me," she replied, glaring at Belantha. The two women had traded blows over the years and not just physical ones, but philosophical ones as well. "So, assassin, how do we know you are not working with these bandits?"

"Simple, kitty cat," Belantha said lightly. "None of them as cute as our good Queen Elyon." She winked at the matriarch, who blushed at the praise.

"So she's..." Randor whispered to Caleb.

"Yeah," Caleb replied. "Among other things."

Orube looked like she was about to launch into one of her legendary rants when a soft voice said, "Excuse me?" Everyone turned and saw a young man in his twenties dressed in simple but undeniably regal clothes. He bowed to all assembled, royals and commoners alike, and continued. "I am Maqi of Arkhanta, an honor to meet you all."

"Hell-looooo," Belantha said, taking in the younger man's firmed body and mentally undressing him. Either he was secretly concealing a dagger in his pants, or he was just her type. Too bad that he was sneaking glances at Elyon, who was surprisingly staring as blatantly as Belantha was.

"Maqi?" Caleb said in surprise, even as he realized it was the young boy he had met on the world of Arkhanta during a mission with the girls. Back then Maqi had been a sullen, silent boy with sad blue eyes whose father had captured a banshee to grant his wishes for a better life for his remaining family; while the blue eyes and blond hair were the same right down to the customary thin braid that hung down across his face, the silent child had become a strong and proud man who looked equally at home in the throne room as he would have been working the fields. His face was thin and handsome, all the soft roundness of youth given way to features that reminded Caleb of Maqi's father, a man he had not seen for years.

"Caleb," Maqi said warmly, shaking the older man's hand and surprising him with the strength in his grip. "It's good to see you after all this time. Arkhanta has only recently joined the League and I was hoping to run into you and perhaps the Guardians." He turned to the others. "Forgive me, Caleb helped my father and I through a difficult time in our lives. I am officially Prince Maqi of Arkhanta, my father is King Ari and I bring greetings from our humble world.

Elyon's mouth gaped in a manner not befitting a queen at all, then snapped back together as she found her voice. "Um, yes. Thank you for your courtesy, Prince Maqi. Meridian welcomes you this evening. Is there anything we can do to make your stay more pleasant?" Belantha looked like she was ready to offer suggestions, but the decorum section of her brain kicked in like Caleb's had earlier. Besides, Braids wanted this one bad, Belantha could tell, and there was no small amount of interest on his part as well. If they wanted a third, now... Belantha was just fine with that, but it didn't seem likely. Well, she was busy, anyway.

"You've already shown enough kindness, Your Highness," Maqi said. "It is good enough to simply be in your presence again."

"'Again?' I'm sorry, but I... don't recall us meeting before." Elyon panicked; surely she would have remembered a hunk like this, for god's sakes!

Maqi only smiled as he explained, "I doubt you would remember me, as I was a mere boy when we first met. The honorable Hay Lin brought me to Meridian when the Guardians were re-establishing Candracar's connection with the known worlds. We met briefly, but you were very kind and beautiful." The prince looked a little embarrassed at that description. "You took me flying with you and the Guardians, it was most thrilling."

"Oh! Of course!" Elyon now remembered fully when had met the young man. It made her feel relieved-and very old, as Maqi had only been ten when she was fourteen, meaning he was around twenty-five now. Elyon could practically hear Irma making growling noises as she accused Elyon of being a "cougar." "You've grown so much," Elyon observed, feeling stupid as she said it for no apparent reason.

"I have the bounty of Arkhanta to thank for that," Maqi said. "Many of the vegetables and fruits at the banquet are from my home; our small contribution to the League's welfare."

"Hardly small," Randor countered. "Kingdoms rise and fall on their stomachs, young Prince. Even on self-sufficient Eternia we ship in your crops for their richness. Every world contributes to the good of the League."

"I thank you for your kind words, King Randor. Arkhanta does not have the military forces of Meridian and Eternia, so we do what we can to serve."

"Large armies are also a sign of weakness," Julian said, "whereas the lack of need for one shows strength of a nation's character. If by chance Arkhanta has need of warriors, well, that is what the League is for."

"It is truly a great thing that Queen Elyon has brought to the know dimensions," Maqi said as he smiled at the matriarch. "We are indebted to you, Your Grace, you and the Guardians."

Elyon flushed red. Dammit, Brown, queens don't do that! "I-It was Randor's proposal originally, I... can hardly take credit."

"Only because Meridian and her allies came to our aid," Randor countered. "You won't escape due credit so easily, Elyon!" Meridian's Queen endured the laughter of her friends while Maqi fidgeted and looked unnerved. "Is something the matter, son? You look as if something is on your mind."

Maqi chuckled nervously. "Forgive me, I... I fear I must have missed some lesson of etiquette and I find myself at a loss."

"I care little for etiquette," Elyon said, happy that Maqi wasn't as confident as he appeared. "It's a necessary evil, but it's feels so dishonest. Whatever it is, please speak your mind, Prince Maqi."

Maqi looked relieved. "I was worried because I do not know the proper way to ask the Queen if she would dance with me."

Everyone stared at Maqi, then they stared at Elyon to see her reaction. "Uh, I... " Belantha discreetly kicked Her Highness in the leg to prod her into saying... "Yes! I... that is not an unreasonable request." Elyon rose and straightened her dress, then walked over to Maqi and held her hand out. Maqi took it and bowed at her, clearly thrilled to have the chance to dance with her.

They moved out onto the floor, the many whirling couples seemingly turning aside to give the two room; Elyon wished she could have credited to her powers, but her mind was too off-center to do any magic at all when Maqi placed his hand on her hip and she on his shoulder. "You lead," Elyon said. "I'm tired of being the boss."

Maqi laughed. "If you insist." Elyon soon found out he could dance as well-and quite well-though it took her a while to get in sync with him sine she had so little practice herself. _There must be something really wrong with this guy_, Elyon thought. _Maybe he's gassy or he bites his fingernails. No way is he as good as looks._

_Then again, stranger things had happened to her before. Maybe this would be a good strange, something that finally worked out. Distance won't be a problem, I can Fold and Tele-Transport anywhere. He's sweet, courteous and ohmygod-level cute. I bet he's good with kids-Nola will love him!_

Because Elyon was pretty sure she did already.

**/-\D/-\**

At an abandoned mine outside of Heatherfield proper, the dimension was being invaded by evil.

The light of the Fold died in the gloom of the main mine shaft as Selene bent her legs to fit inside the too-small space. The Beast had made an undignified entrance as her head had smashed through the support beams of the shaft. One annoyed scream later she was picking the dirt clods out of her hair and hissing malevolently at her situation.

Her mistress was either a skilled strategist or a fool. As far as Selene was concerned the fastest way to the Heart was through the small forms of the Keeper and her brood, but her orders were to remain hidden and watch for an opening to steal the talisman. It was a wise course of action, actually; her confidence at her ability to best the Guardians contained a sliver of doubt at matching their combined power. If Lord Cedric could not defeat them those many times...

Glowing green eyes narrowed at the small patch of light that was the mine entrance. Fine, then; cunning and guile would be the weapons used for now. For now.

Green light surrounded Selene as the change began. She fell forward onto her hands as all but two legs vanished into her shrinking thorax; her torso began to shrink to a more human size and a pinker pigmentation instead of her purple skin. Pupils went from slits to round, nails shortened as hands became more delicate. Her remaining two legs twisted around in front of her and her limited experience with this form caused her to fall to her newly developed knees. The purple armor plates faded into weak skin, making Selene feel as vulnerable as a hatchling.

She hated being human, if only in appearance and shape. Almost as much as she hated her human mistress.

Rising shakily, she braced herself against the wall as she staggered outside the mine. A little more steady in the open air, she stood and surveyed the surrounding area while shivering in the October breeze. It wasn't this cold last night... what had changed? The answer came to Selene as she stared at her naked self. Coverings were in order, apparently.

The town was miles away and Selene wasn't sure how long it would take her to get there on ridiculous human legs. She fumed at the situation until something occurred to her: she was only human on the outside.

With a cracking sounds that would have made any onlooker wince, Selene's legs twisted until her knees were above her back like those of a cricket. Dropping to all fours she began to run toward the forest at the speed of a frightened deer, hopping over fallen trees and small ponds as she innately headed toward the largest population of beings/prey.

After all, she was a hunter by nature, and any good hunter knew how to use camouflage to get close enough to strike without warning.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Did you guys like Valin and Vernacula? Then go read strayphoenix's story "Vernacula" for more of these Meridian beauties. It was stray's idea to marry Valin to Drake and I think they make a great couple. We have a sort of "OC Exchange Program" where my Belantha from Dark Gossamer Wings and her V's appear in each other's stories. If you read Vernacula it will explain some of Val's seemingly odd behavior.

The irrepressible pirate Roiya Hall away is from Darev's excellent "Chink In Your Armor: Unlikeliest Heroes", a story that has us singing its praises and I definitely recommend it for fun dialogue, good ole gore and a starring role for Caleb in a universe where Nerissa won and things aren't looking good. Thanks again for letting your girls hang out in my story, stray, Darev. Now get them out of here before they kill me!

For those who only know the show Orube and Maqi may be surprises. In the comics Orube was brought in to replace one of WITCH who quit and she was never a Guardian in the traditional sense, but helped out on occasion.

In one of the comic's What If? specials she took over as Keeper of the Heart in a possible future when Cornelia left to live with Caleb on Meridian. I'm taking that premise and making it into sort of a third season of WITCH since when the show was canceled I, like many authors, considered continuing the series through fanfiction. But since that would have required too much work I've starting combining my story ideas together to save time.

I'm avoiding comics spoilers as much as possible since I hate being spoiled myself (unless it's with reviews) while trying to draw as much from the comics as I can to build a history for DJINN. Since WITCH had defeated most of their enemies few will be returning and I have many original characters to appear in the chapters and stories ahead, don't worry about too many comic spoilers.

And remember: comic scans online are free, but they won't bother with the WITCH brand here in the States if we don't pay the price (of the graphic novels, that is.) That's the public service announcement for today.

The ships between Orube/Aldarn (stray really liked that one) and Elyon/Maqi are my own invention since Aldarn does exist in the comics and the two royals have never met (to my knowledge) in the WITCH comics; I was planning to use (with her permission) an OC stayphoenix created when I got the idea to use Maqi; I've already hinted at comic Elyon's main squeeze in the last chapters for the comic fans, but I say no more about it. Maqi was a cute blond kid in the comics and it's likely he'll grow into a handsome man; then, I was a cute blond kid, too, so that's not a definite possibility (see my avatar; scary good likeness, no longer blond or cute.)

Though this isn't a crossover fic in the traditional sense, Randor, Marlena and the characters they mention are all from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, specifically the newer 2002 series from Cartoon Network. Their son Adam is better known as the alter-ego of He-Man, though his parents (still) don't know this. Adora is his twin sister, AKA She-Ra and their uncle Keldor is the evil Skeletor. No wonder Elyon likes them, they have the "evil relative" condition in common. Look for them to appear in a Never Too Young story.

Mind you, DJINN isn't the future version of the NTY series but they share some common history. I drove stray nuts trying to explain my twisted logic about that, but you don't have to read either story series to get the other, it's just some Easter Eggs for ya'll to find. Or to have thrown at your heads by me, in truth.

What a weird chapter: my OC, Stray's and Darev's OCs and characters from another show all mingling. Mind-bogglin'.


	11. Ice Cream Headaches

**Disclaimer**: D.J.I.N.N. and other original characters are my own property while the aged (but still kicking) W.I.T.C.H. crew are the property of Disney.

BELANTHA: So I'm PROPERTY, am I?

Uh, only in a legal sense, Bel... is that a new dagger? It's very... sharp...

W.I.T.C.H.: AGED?

Oh, for crying out...

**Author's Note**: Thanks to all the TomTom's Playground forum members who thought up Truths and Dares for this chapter. Look for their credits at the end of the chapter, they deserve it. And I really apologize for the TWO YEAR hiatus. There were a lot of reasons for the wait but it's still ridiculous to keep you waiting this long.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Ice Cream Headaches**

The movie was over, the hero got the girl and the city was safe... but not safe enough that there wouldn't be a sequel, of course. Dee mused that it seemed a lot smoother in the movies in real life, though she thought she could take the film's villain in her Guardian form. Heck, maybe even without it; after the harsh reality of the Spider Ho it was hard to be impressed by a guy in a suit powered by computer-generated effects.

"That was pretty good," Will said as she stretched her arms. "Vance Michael Justin's always been huge even when I was your age, though he doesn't really rock the tights like he used to."

"Since I'm going to be your kid," Dee said, "I guess I should be grossed out that you said that, right?" Will rolled her eyes and chucked a pillow at her grinning ward.

"The chicken's almost ready," Susan said from the kitchen. "Time to start washing hands. Beatrice, go get your father, please. He'll starve if we don't remind him it's dinner time."

Bee left to retrieve Dean as Will began thumbing through the CD rack next to Carlos. "Have you met Carlos yet?" she asked Dee, who nodded. "Let's see if he can play us some dinner music."

"_I always have a song for you, _mi Corazón," Carlos crooned, causing Dee to laugh.

Will raised her eyebrows curiously. "Let me guess: Carlos was putting the moves on me?"

"Yeah, he..." Dee frowned. "Wait, didn't you hear him?"

Will said nothing for a second as she stared at the picture of the five Guardians dancing across a stage. When she spoke her voice was almost halting. "I... I can't hear them anymore. Not since we quit." Will shook her head. "We'll talk about it later, it's not important. Here, why don't you pick one? I need to wash up myself." Will gave her a fabricated smile that all but screamed to Dee that it _was_ something important before she left the living room.

Dee stood staring after her as she wondered if she had done something wrong. The nasty little voice in her head instantly accused her of doing so, but Dee didn't think she did anything to make Will sad. Regardless, she was determined to try and right any possible error. "Carlos, do you know what Will's favorite song is?"

"_Hmmmmm_..." Carlos' LCD display flickered as the CD player searched his memory. "_There is one disk she ran all the time, and I mean _all_ the time._" The CD player seemed reluctant to recommend the CD."_But what the lady wants..._ _it's the third from the left, top row_."

Dee found the case and was a little surprised that Will's favorite CD was something other than one of those boy-filled bands that were all the rage in the old days. The slip of paper in the front of the case had "W55" on the front and nothing on the back. After opening the case with some difficulty-compact discs had been out of production for several years, after all-she saw the disc had "W55 - Demo" written on it. Dee had no idea what could be on it, but she shrugged and thanked Carlos for opening his CD tray for her since she had no idea where it was located. "Gracias, Carlos."

"_Anything for my ladies_," Carlos said as the first track began to play.

The quality of the W55 disc was pretty good considering it was probably created in some old clunker of a computer and Dee found herself nodding her head in time to the rock instrumental that started the song off. When the boy's voice kicked in after a few moments Dee was instantly impressed with young vocalist; he sounded like he was Dee's age, but there was nothing amateurish about his performance as he spoke about the struggle with an internal enemy.

"**Didn't know why I couldn't fly**  
**Didn't want to be stuck on the ground**  
**I wanted to soar across the sky**  
**But something was holding me down**

**What had me cower in fear?**  
**What was it I couldn't see?**  
**The answer near, but so unclear**  
**I was fighting the demon in me**"

And something about the lyrics plucked at Dee's soul like the strings on a guitar. A dark voice inside that created fear and kept someone from being happy... Dee couldn't even look at Carlos until the singer spoke of defeating his demon and "**laid claim to my space**." She was smiling at the end when Bee came to get her.

"That sounds familiar..." Bee said. "It's really good, even for such an old format. We're, ah, we're all ready in here."

"Oh!" Dee winced. "Sorry. I got caught up in the song. Who is this W55 guy, anyway?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," Bee replied, looking a little miffed that she lacked the fairly trivial information. "It just sounds really familiar... I'll bet Billie knows, we'll ask her after dinner."

"I don't know if I can eat anything after the _Silver Dragon_," Dee said to Bee when they entered the kitchen. As soon as she said the words the smell of roast chicken wafted through the air and caused Dee's stomach to growl. "Uhhh... well, maybe I have some room left."

Susan was setting the roast chicken down as they entered the dining room; Dee's eyes widened at the size of the cooked bird and she actually licked her lips at the sight of the main course. "That's... that looks _really_ good."

"Saturday night is family night," Will explained, "So we go a little farther than usual. Most of the time it's leftovers or take-out."

"Or leftover take-out," Bee added. "We're all lazy when it comes to food preparation, which is a good thing for Billie as all her cooking is horrendous." Will took a swipe at Bee. "No need for violence! I was just warning her!"

"Behave, you two!" Susan said as Dean laughed. "We're at the dinner table, so use your manners. You're both role models to Dee now, it's time to grow up." Dee tried not to snicker at the looks on the two sisters' faces as they sat and mock-glared at each other. Dean was straightening his plate and silverware and trying not to notice the cat fight, Dee noticed, which made sense as most guys she had met were either turned on or-like Dean-uncomfortable with women fighting. It probably went double for Dean since they were his daughters and Susan was obviously the boss in this household.

Everyone started to fix their plates from the food in the middle of the table, somehow handing each other a bowl just as they finished getting their portion from it. Dee felt like a fifth wheel in the flurry of motion until Will handed her the plate she was preparing. "Oh... I was going to wait until everyone was done..."

"Moms have to make sure their kids eat first," Will said with a smile, secretly pleased to refer to herself as a mother. "It's a golden rule. Do you want some gravy on your potatoes?"

_Dammit, Dee, don't start crying because she offers you gravy_! _Don't start bawling, you have to impress these people_! "Um, sure, but I can get it," Dee replied. She managed to compose herself as she reached for the gravy, but it sucked that she was still that... _fragile_.

Her shaky emotions made her wish that she could transform into a Guardian again to feel the comforting power and she smiled at the image of her transformed self eating dinner with the Collins. _Beating that spider was no trouble at all, Grandma Susan, though I'm sure Will could have taken it out quicker back in the day_... _oh, _god, _that chicken smells good... _Will had given her a leg and Dee knew now that she really loved the woman.

Will tilted her head as if listening to something. "What's that in the... ohhhhh, my old Wreck 55 CD..." Will smiled dreamily while Susan just scrunched her face in disgust. "Good choice, Dee. They were a great band back when we were in middle school. I could probably sell that CD for big bucks!" Will laughed at the idea, but Dee got the feeling that she was only kidding about doing so. "You can have it if you like it, I have another CD player at my apartment"

"Thanks!" Dee said, not missing the exasperated look on Susan's face; it was may have been because Susan had endured listening to that song when Will was younger. The second song began with a more upbeat tune and more romantic overtones than the first.

"**Then everything changes.**  
**She's there. Life rearranges.**  
**Winged angel from above…**  
**Helped me find the Will… the Will to love…**"

"Hey, it's got Billie's name in it!" Bee said. "After a fashion. Is there a story behind that, Billie?"

Will smirked. "Sort of. I'll tell you guys... someday."

"No fair!" Bee said, sounding more like an annoyed sister than a budding scientist. "I'll figure it out eventually!"

"Sure you will," Will taunted.

"Alright," Susan said. "Let's eat before the food gets cold."

The rest of the dinner passed casually as the Collins talked about their past week and what plans they had for the next seven days. Dee didn't join in this conversation since her prior week was not something she wanted to describe to anyone, though it was nice to hear about the Collins' lives. One topic that Dean and Bee seemed excited about was the Halloween carnival that was being held at Sheffield Institute the coming Friday and Will quickly joined in with her own enthusiasm. "I love the carnivals! I haven't even thought about what I'd be this year."

"Your mother and I are going as Antony and Cleopatra," Dean said. "I'll be Antony, of course, the costume would fit better on me than your mother." Susan smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I think you'd be a good Cleopatra, Dean!" Dee said jokingly, then looked horrified. "I mean...!"

But everyone was laughing at the suggestion. "I told you she was great!" Will said as the Collins regained control of themselves. "Oh, man... Dean, you have to do that! Oh, man... well, we'll go by the costume store tomorrow at the mall."

"I think I'm going to be a zombie," Bee said. "I've actually been working out the theory of reanimating human flesh with electric current and I think..."

"No talking about your experiments at the dinner table, sweetie," Susan reminded her youngest. "We've been over this before."

Bee looked sheepish at the slip. "Sorry, Mom. What about you, Dee? What do you want to go as?"

Dee grimaced at yet another simple thing she had never done before; even when she had had the opportunity she had not participated on the grounds that dressing up as something else was akin to changing herself to suit others-which really made her wonder about the whole Guardian transformation deal now that she thought about it. "Uhhhhhhh... I don't know..."

"What's your favorite thing?" Will asked. "That's always a good bet for a costume. I don't how many years I went as some kind of frog." Will remembered her personal favorite was the one where she wore a swim-suit over the frog costume, combining her two favorite things. She also remembered Irma stripping off the top of her bikini at the carnival; even worse, Will had actually covered herself in embarrassment despite the frog suit. Her parental guilt over Dee's biting of Irma lessened a great deal as she thought of Irma's many pranks. _Sweet justice_...

"Seven," Bee answered Will's rhetorical question about her frog costumes. "Though technically you were a toad last year." Will looked at her younger sister like she was already a zombie. "I did the photo albums, remember? I also noticed a two inch increase in your waistline..." Even Susan didn't object when Will threw a pea at Beatrice and nailed her in the forehead. "Ahem... just go as what you like most, Dee."

It became apparent to Dee that the Collins were waiting for her answer. "Well... I... I kind of have a thing about... _pirates_. Old movies about them were always my favorites at the orphanage."

Before anyone could ask about Dee's pirate thing the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Will said, mouthing "pirates?" and grinning at Dee.

(_Hey, Dee_!) Dee stiffened when she heard Ingrid's voice in her mind. (_Guess where I'm at_?)

(_Front door_?)

(_Ooh, you are smart_! _See you in a sec_!)

Sure enough, Will saw Ingrid through the peephole on the front door and opened it. "Hey, Ingrid. Come to steal Dee away?"

"You bet, Aunt Dubya! And I'll carry her if I have to!" Ingrid looked past Will into the dining room. "You! Come quietly and I won't be forced to dance for you! I'm a really terrible dancer, you don't want to see me break it down!"

Dee rolled her eyes as the Collins chuckled at Ingrid's dire threat. "Fine, just let me clean my plate off."

"I'll get it for you, Dee," Bee said. "I can use your chicken bone's ligaments for the calcium deposits."

"Um... sure." Dee got up and also thanked Dean and Susan for the dinner.

"No problem, sweetie," Susan said as she gave Dee a hug. "Now, go have fun with your friends. We'll see you tomorrow." Dee awkwardly returned the hug and nearly laughed when she noticed that Susan smelled a lot like Will; how weird was Dee that she noticed that?

Will herself was happy to see her mother and new daughter connecting, but was also a little amused that Dee looked more like Susan's third daughter than her grandchild. Ingrid was giving Dee two enthusiastic thumbs up, like she'd made a winning touchdown; Will thought that Ingrid often bore a great resemblance to Irma and the two perpetual jokers would have easily been mistaken for parent and child by Will if she hadn't had the... _honor_ of being present at Ingrid's birth.

She would be there for Cornelia's birth with the twins if her friend needed her... but _only _if Cornelia needed her. Badly. Life or death sort of need. As far as Will was concerned, Caleb had made this bed and he could be hit on the head with it. It wasn't the best use of the metaphor, but... oh, wait, yes it was.

"Do you want to come, too, Bee?" Ingrid asked Beatrice. "I've got_ licorice twists_!"

"Thanks, Ingrid," Beatrice replied with regret, apparently enticed by the promise of corded confections. "But with Dee's plate I've now got the same amount of calcium as the human body." Bee's bespectacled eyes lit up in a somewhat eerie light. "With all the biological materials in my mini-fridge, it's like I have a whole human being in my room!"

There was a groan from somewhere in Susan's vicinity. Ingrid stared at Beatrice for a second, then gave a cheery "Okay!" while secretly telling Dee, (_Your aunt's a mad scientist, by the way. Thought you should know_.)

(_Uh... thanks. No one's perfect_.) Ingrid walked over to Carlos and listened to the music for a few seconds, then grinned widely as if she recognized the song being played. Dee said her goodbyes to the Collins and joined Will and Ingrid at the door. "If you need me in case, y'know..." she said to Will. _A giant spider attacks the house or something..._

"Relax," Will said. "I'll be okay. Elyon did some magical work on this house before her parents sold it to mine. Anything that tries to break into it will get the shock of their life." Will embraced Dee and the girl returned the hug with a fervor born of impending separation. "Would you stop worrying? Don't make Ingrid have to carry you off!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm going." Dee stepped outside with Ingrid and started toward the sidewalk. She looked back as Will closed the door and caught her parent's smile as it closed.

"Don't worry, boss!" Ingrid said. "We'll come running if there's trouble. I don't think Spidey will want to tangle with you for a while, anyway."

"Probably not," Dee agreed, "especially since I sent her to hell."

Dee had to admit, it felt good to make Ingrid's eyes bulge in surprise.

* * *

**/-\D/-\**

Moments later the two Guardians were at Ingrid's front door as she went through the security clearances again. "Mom has a lot of crazed fans," Ingrid explained at Dee's curious expression. "It's never been a problem, really, but we don't take any chances."

"_No one's getting in on my watch!_" the security system-Bert-said.

"Thanks, Bert," Dee said.

"_You're welcome, young lady_. _Be sure to reset the lock, Miss Hale_."

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "Have I ever _not _reset the lock?"

"_Once, on the seventeenth of July of last year at three-forty-three in the afternoon. I paged the security company to come by..._"

"And I got a lecture from Mom and Aunt Will, yeah, I remember."Ingrid finished the security measures with a sigh. "Man, now my house is on my case. There's always a catch." Ingrid opened the door for Dee and-after a few moments of "You go first!" and "It's your house!"-they entered shoulder-to-shoulder with the smaller Dee squeezing by the larger girl.

They were walking by the living room when Ingrid suggested that Dee meet Cornelia's parents-suggested by yanking Dee's arm as she dragged the Keeper to the living room before Dee could answer. Ingrid's mother was talking with her recently arrived father, Harold, a distinguished looking man with a trim mustache and slicked back graying blonde hair; Harold looked like Dean's sophisticated city cousin to Dee. "This is Dee, Grandma and Grandpa. She's totally got Aunt Will under her finger!" Dee winced at Ingrid's playful jab as it sounded like she was manipulative though the Earth Guardian took the edge off the comment with her good nature.

"Really?" Harold said in a voice heavy with old money; he actually sounded like one of those rich people on TV, Dee thought. "Well, you certainly picked an excellent young lady, Diana. Will has taken excellent care of Ingrid over the years."

"Don't mention that, Pops," Ingrid said with a grin. "Dee's the jealous type!"

Dee rolled her eyes. "Thank you, sir. I really like Will and I'll try not to give her any trouble." It wasn't too hard to be polite if other people were nice, Dee was finding out. She was worried what would happen when she ran into the inevitable jerk that was always around, though. In Dee's experience there was always someone who wanted to start something and Dee, in her experience, was always happy to reciprocate.

Elizabeth laughed raucously. "I don't think you could possibly cause more trouble than Ingrid! Not that she's a bad child, but she honestly can't help it." Dee noted that Elizabeth didn't have the "rich" accent, meaning she probably married into that world.

"WHAT!" Ingrid said, waving her arms wildly. "I have no idea what you're talking about! Name one time... ugh, never mind." Ingrid was aware there were many times she had accidentally caused a commotion... or broken something... or traumatized someone. Accidentally. "We'll be in my room if you need us. Need to have serious bonding with our new group, so no one over fourteen allowed except Napoleon."

"Okay, sweetie," Cornelia said, winking discreetly at the new Guardians. "You guys have fun... and be careful."

"We will!" Ingrid said as she took off for her room. Dee stood staring at the Hales for a second before running after Ingrid.

"She seems like a nice girl," Harold said as he poured his daughter some tea. "A little overwhelmed, understandably, what with the poor thing having to deal with our granddaughter. Hale women are _quite_ formidable." Cornelia chuckled as she thought of her younger sister, not even factoring herself into the equation.

"I found that out as soon as I met your mother," Elizabeth told her husband and soon all three Hales were laughing.

* * *

**/-\D/-\**

"Slow down, Ingrid!" Dee said at she ascended a circular staircase in pursuit of the Earth Guardian. Ingrid had shot up the staircase like a monkey on a tree while Dee plodded along behind her; how someone that tall could move that quickly seemed unreal.

"We're almost there!" Ingrid encouraged as she cleared the stairs, Dee several steps behind her. They ran down a short hall to large door with a sign that read, "Ingrid's Room, Watch for Larveks!" Ingrid threw open the door and slid into the room, causing Napoleon to jump out of the way with a disgruntled hiss and startling the other Guardians. "Sorry, Napo-po. I'm back! And I've brought the guest of honor! Take a bow, Dee!"

Dee leaned against the door frame and gasped for air, the Heart of Candracar dropping to her knees. "Only if I can catch my breath while I'm doing it. I haven't been in gym class in over a year."

"We'll work on that," Ingrid promised. "But first... take off your clothes!"

Dee lost her grip on the door and nearly fell . "What?" What exactly had Dee signed herself on for?

"Ha! Don't worry! We're not nudists, it's just a slumber party! I got some pajamas for you right here." Ingrid held up some sleepwear that was designed to look like the black and white skin of a dairy cow... complete with a pair of udders painted on the stomach. The other girls were wearing more respectable sleepwear, none of which were patterned after farm animals-or their mammaries. "I'm not trying to be funny or anything, this is the only clean pair I have left. Didn't do the laundry..."

"She rarely does," Nola affirmed smartly as she wrote in a small book.

"_Ahem_... true, true. And it's too small for me, anyway... you can have it if you like, Auntie Hay made it for me for... for some reason, if she even had a reason at all. If you don't like it, I'm sure I can find something else."

Dee probably could have asked Ingrid for another pair, but she didn't want to abuse her hospitality. Besides, Dee had a comedic side to her as well and if the others got a laugh out of it she could deal with the udders. "No, it'll do. Just no milk jokes, please."

"Got it. Though I will make jokes, I can't help it."

"She really can't," Nola said as she kept writing.

"Sheesh! Nollie's really on my case tonight!" As Dee changed into her pajamas Ingrid crossed the room to where her supposedly dear friend was sitting and peered over her shoulder at the book. "Writing in your 'princess diary,' your Highness-ness? '_Dear Diary, Ingrid's incredible looks once again have me doubting my sexuality, whatever shall I do_?'"

Nola rolled her eyes and closed the book. "For your information, I was devising strategies for us to use in combat situations. I estimate that we could have finished our battle with the bandits much sooner had we co-operated and combined our powers. Do you agree, Keeper?"

It wasn't until Nola looked her in the eye that Dee remembered _she_ was the Keeper. "Um... I think we did really well, but yeah, we were each kind of doing our own thing earlier. The, uhm... Mrs. Lin's hologram thing showed Guardians working together a lot..." It sounded like a very leader-esque thing to say to Dee... it didn't help, however, that she had put the dairy cow pajamas on with-oh, joy!-Hay Lin's rainbow-colored socks. The fact the girls _weren't_ giving her all kinds of hell for looking so ridiculous spoke volumes for them.

"Like Water and Air making ice!" Ingrid provided as an example of Guardian teamwork. "Or Fire and Earth to make lava! Or Air and Fire to make... really hot air, no, _firestorms_! Aunt Will told me that one time she and Mom made a giant out of stone to protect a village from raiders and it decided to live there after the battle was over! That was one of my favorite Guardian stories because it was just Will and Mom on their own..."

"There are few subjects that pique Ingrid's interests," Nola said in a amused voice that was the definition of _droll_. "But anything to do with Guardians is a particular favorite."

"I'm a Guardian Groupie, that's for sure!" Ingrid affirmed. "Just look at my room!"

Dee did take a look at Ingrid's room. It was a large space that was almost as big as Will's apartment, the rectangular shape broken at one end by the turret that Dee had seen from the street; the area inside in the turret had a green half-circle sofa inside and Dee could imagine Ingrid relaxing in the sunlight the turret's large window let in. Jamila was currently sitting on the sofa and staring intently at the flaming finger tips of her right hand, trying to better control the intensity of the flames until they were blue-white from their extreme heat.

Dee quickly noticed that green and purple were the dominant colors in the room and probably what Ingrid had meant when she called herself a "Guardian Groupie." Her bed lay opposite the turret and also circular with purple pillows atop a green comforter; Nestis was laying on the bed and looking fairly tired, Dee guessed because of her hurricane impression in Meridian and upset stomach from a few hours before. The bed itself was big enough to accommodate two more of the girls but looked to be about the right size for the giant-sized Ingrid.

There was a large basket at the foot of the bed that obviously Napoleon's sleeping area... obvious because it had the cat's name spelled on it in large black letters. Napoleon climbed up on his basket and stretched his body before curling up on his purple cushion. He looked at Dee with an amused expression before closing his eyes. Dee was slightly creeped out by the knowing look the animal gave her but continued her observation of Ingrid's room.

The dresser where Nola was sitting was neither green or purple and fit in with the old-style house better than Ingrid's decorating taste. There was the usual girl stuff on it, makeup and lipstick and the like, but Dee was surprised to see a large knife in its sheathe hanging from a corner of the dresser's mirror. The strange squiggly lines on the sheathe reminded Dee of the writing she'd briefly seen at the outpost in Meridian.

One corner of the large living area was set up as a small in-home gym with a weight bench, the accompanying weights and a punching bag hanging from the rafters. The bag itself was custom-decorated so that the surface had two images on it, one side consisting of an attractive yet sinister-looking man with white hair and a matching goatee while the rest of the bag had the image of the creature from Hay Lin's painting done in horrific detail. From the weathered appearance of the punching bag it seemed like Ingrid had pounded on it a lot.

Besides the furniture there wasn't a spot in the room that didn't have _something_ on it. One wall was nothing but shelves filled with things like old toys, exotic looking crystals and a collection of claws and teeth displayed lovingly like Ingrid ran her own "It Can Eat You" mini-museum. In addition to the knife there were several swords and a bow with arrows displayed out of reach on one of the higher shelves. A coat rack next to the shelves had a large brown coat on it that looked like nothing like what a teenage girl would usually wear, but with Ingrid it was impossible for Dee to tell what her idea of "usual" was.

"That's my armory," Ingrid said with a grin at the weapons. "My dad gave me most of them-they were made by godfather's dad, Aketon-but the really pretty one was given to me by my Aunt Ruby. Orube is her real name, she's kind of this... alien-cat-woman-sorta-samurai person who works for Candracar, like we do now. She subbed for Aunt Will for a while as Keeper and she married my god-daddy Aldarn... so, Aunt Ruby!"

"So do you..." Dee started to ask before Ingrid took Orube's sword off the shelf and removed the short broadsword from the sheathe with practiced ease. Dee backed up when Ingrid made several crisp strikes in the air, but none of the swings came near her. "Never mind."

"Nola's not so bad, either," Ingrid said as she sheathed the sword in a fluid motion," But she prefers to _scold_ her opponents to death." There was a quiet "hmph" from Nola's direction. "For a long time I thought I'd be using one of these as a Meridian royal guardsmen-guards_person_-but that was before I was a hundred percent about being a G-girl." Ingrid replaced the sword carefully and gestured to the rest of the shelves. "I have a lot of neat stuff here, most of it from my extended family. Have a look."

There was a lot to see in Ingrid's private museum. Dee's eyes were immediately drawn to five hand-made Guardian dolls that resembled W.I.T.C.H., of which the Will toy the one with the most scuff marks and tears. "Aunt Hay made those," Ingrid informed Dee. "I used to sleep with them every night so 'mean old Phobos' wouldn't get me! I had an Unka Blunk doll... but I think he ate it. Toy cannabalism, huh..."

Next to the W.I.T.C.H. dolls was a rather odd-looking teddy bear wearing a black jumpsuit with a fiery white _D _on its chest and matching gloves and boots and a tuff of white hair hanging over its green eyes. Dee thought it looked rather creepy for a stuffed animal but the red and black helmet next to it was far more disturbing in comparison, its white faceplate created to look like the front of a stylized skull. "Uncle Zu-Zu gave me that one," Ingrid continued to curate. "An official Fire Nation Army helmet. It was very cool of him to give me it after I crashed a tank... into his _house_. Man, his wife was mad enough for both of them... and she likes to throw knives-oh! That's one of them right there! I thought for sure it was going in my hand..."

"What's this?" Dee asked as she lifted a circular object off the shelf. It was made of some sort of dense black plastic with a green hourglass-shaped face. Dee tapped a finger on the face of the object... and yelped when a green light burst from the object. The light projected itself into a two-dimensional holographic grid with four red dots on. "Uh..."

"Huh... I don't know what the heck that is," Ingrid admitted. "Just know that my Aunts each have one. Maybe it's some failed video game system of something; the graphics were horrible back in the old days."

"_Objection_," the device said to the Guardians through Dee's "Appliance Whispering." "_Azmuth omega series Plumber Identification Badges are visually accurate for the visual spectrums of over one million sentient species, including _homo sapiens sapiens_."_

"Hey!" Ingrid huffed. "What do these Homo Sapiens Squared have that we don't?"

"I think he means us," Dee said. "Humans, I mean."

"Huh? Ohhhhh... I remember now! It was on my science test... ewww... I didn't do too good on that one..."

"_Full access is denied even to those of Plumber descent_," the badge explained. "_Please refrain from using this device unless emergency circumstances dictate or for identification purposes_." With that, the Plumbers' badge turned off its hologram.

"Yeesh! Lot of attitude from a drainage technician's ID," Ingrid muttered as Dee replaced the badge. "Moving on... oh, check out my pictures!"

The opposite wall had a bullentin board like the one Dee had seen on the train station where she had arrived in Heatherfield but this one was covered in photos instead of pamphlets. Ingrid's version of a photo album had pictures of just about everyone Dee had met so far, including Dee herself from the lunch earlier in the day. She grimaced when she saw the glare she gave the camera as Will and Dee embraced; Dee thought she looked like a psycho with that expression.

"Aunt Tara emailed me the photos and I printed them off," Ingrid explained. "You're so scary, boss! Oooooh!"

Dee did what seemed to be her hundredth eye roll since she had met Ingrid. "I'm just extremely camera shy. That's a glare of fear because of my horrible hair. What's with all the posters?" Dee was referring to the posters of celebrities next to the bulletin board. Curiously, the posters were all contained in plastic frames and placed side-by-side like they were more important than the ones from video games and movies plastered over the other walls.

"Oh, those are more of my aunts and uncles!" Ingrid gestured to the posters like a presenter on a game show. "All autographed, too. Surely you've heard of the Danny Phantom, Ben Tennyson, Juniper Lee and Jake Long? All proud members of the W.I.T.C.H. extended family. Plus, they love me to death, obviously."

"Uhm, yeah, I know who they are. Phantom and Tennyson are superheroes and they're always on the news. Lee and Long are musicians, right?"

"Yep, plus they're secretly magical protectors like us, of course that's not on their fan sites. June and Jake were students of Mrs. Lin when they were our age and Danny's family is a friend of Aunt Will's-_your_ family, I should say. Ben's grandpa Max dated Mrs Lin when they were younger, no lie, and the Tennysons visit sometimes. Ooh, they're all coming to Hay Lin's wedding so you can meet them. I think Uncle Ben still has a crush on Aunt Will... ohmigod!" Ingrid jumped up and down in excitement. "If they got together your dad would be _Ben Ten Thousand_! That would be _sick_!"

"If you say so," Dee said with none of Ingrid's enthusiasm.

"Beware the matchmaker," Nola warned. "It's Ingrid's favorite pastime after her games."

"But I'm great at it, Nollie, and you know it! Anyway, Aunt June's probably going to play some songs at the wedding and I think Uncle Jake's gonna DJ. You wouldn't believe the guest list we have for this thing, I wouldn't be surprised if the Oracle put in an appearance." Ingrid laughed as she walked over to a min-fridge next to Nola's desk and opened the freezer. "I've only got Neapolitan, hope that's okay." She pulled out a large container of ice cream. "But I do have sprinkles and chocolate sauce!"

Dee was about to object that she had had two big meals with a lot of strawberries and didn't need a bowl of ice cream... until Ingrid said, "sprinkles and chocolate sauce!" Ingrid brought the ice cream over to her dresser with bowls, spoons and the condiments she had promised. "To celebrate our first day as Guardians-and our new best friend and boss-lady-we now partake of the frozen goodiness of Baskin Robbins! I got all your favorite flavors, girls. Which do you want, Dee?"

"Strawberry, please." Ingrid started to scoop out ice cream for the other girls; Dee noticed that she received mostly strawberry while Jamila and Nestis were given vanilla and chocolate respectively while Nola got an equal amount of all three flavors. If these were all the girls' favorite flavors it impressed Dee that someone as lively as Ingrid would take the time to do something like that.

After the girls had flavored their ice cream with chocolate sauce Nola was the first to dig in with uncharacteristic zeal, managing to somehow maintain proper dining etiquette while shoveling ice cream into her mouth like it was the last on Earth. "Meridian has yet to attain ice cream, unfortunately," she explained between mouthfuls. "Truly, this is your world's greatest accomplishment."

"I'd say you were kidding, Nollie," Ingrid said, "But I know you're not. Don't eat too fast or you'll get a headache..." Nola stopped eating and pinched her nose while making a pained face. "Ah, yeah. Every time. So, while Nola is recovering from her relapse into sugar addiction, let me outline the plans for the evening: we have the new superhero movie with Vance Michael Justin-_eek_!" Dee was slightly alarmed when the other girls _eek_-ed, too. "After that we will exercise the time honored ritual of sleepovers since time immemorial... _Truth and Dare_! And maybe we can get in some powers practice before we turn in. Sound good, Dee? Since you're boss and all."

"Uh..." Dee wished they'd stop referring to her as the leader-even if she was. "I think I'll leave entertainment to you."

"Wise choice! I _am_ the life of any party, on Earth or Meridian!" Ingrid walked over to a flat-screen television that had several video game systems around it; she pushed the power button on the TV and the screen popped up with a background that was a picture of Ingrid apparently falling through the air and screaming happily about it. "That was taken while I was jumping on the trampoline in the backyard. Good picture, Nollie."

"You're welcome," Nola said in between mouthfuls of ice cream. Nose pinch. "Oh, dear... I usually show restraint with confections." Once her second ice cream attack subsided she took the ice cream scoop and began to refill her bowl. Nestis looked aghast at the princess' overindulgence while Jamila seemed amused.

Ingrid touched the television screen and a list of commands popped up on the monitor; Dee barely had time to read them as Ingrid went through several menus with the same dexterity she displayed with the sword. The screen blacked out as the movie began to play and the girls moved to the thick rug in front of the TV with their ice cream bowls; Nola took the container itself with her. Dee was less concerned with seeing the movie again than trying to find a place on the rug as each girl had found a space to lay or sit like they had a reserved spot. Dee hovered around the edge of the carpet for a few seconds before sitting on the floor next to Nestis, her bottom hanging half of the rug.

Dee didn't mind that she had already seen the movie butshe quickly learned it was probably for the best as Ingrid and Jamila began to pick apart the flick like two over-enthusiastic film critics. "He's the bad guy!" Ingrid said, pointing at an unassuming character that Dee knew was, in fact, the bad guy. "You can tell by the color of his shirt and his shifty eyes!"

"Oh, yeah," Jamila agreed. Having removed her shawl for the evening and lying on her stomach with feet in the air the Fire Guardian looked like an entirely different person. "Vance Michael thinks he's like a father figure to him, but during the dinner you can see the hints that he's really a crook who wants to use his genetic engineering to rule the world. Even if it's completely fake science."

"Yeah, too bad Aunt Elly couldn't figure that out about her big bro Phobos. I would have had a lot less bedtime stories to listen to!"

"Phobos was known for his trickery," Nola added in an affronted voice. "I hardly think that Mother could be blamed for being misled. And W.I.T.C.H. _could_ have told her of her origin sooner..."

"Oh, lighten up, my sister-from-another-mister! That's what makes it so cool when Aunt Elly cleaned his clock! And she was only thirteen when she did it, that made it even cooler because Phobos was... how much older was he, anyway? I can never tell in the pictures."

"So W.I.T.C.H. was our age when they fought Phobos?" Nestis asked. "I can't believe that they could do that, we-they-seem so young to be doing... y'know, fight in a war. In my tribe everyone is expected to fight if they can, even women, but... seriously, teenage girls saving the world? It _sounds_ like a legend."

"Or a comic book," Dee suggested with a smirk. "Or maybe even a cartoon show with one of those long transformation scenes!" The girls laughed at that as they remembered their first transformation.

"Well, Guardians start their training at our age," Ingrid said to Nestis even as she continued watching the movie, "But I think Grandma Lin said that they don't usually see action until they're sixteen or so. It's kind of unusual for Guardians to start fighting right off the bat and, now that I think about it, W.I.T.C.H. only had to deal with Phobos because Aunt Elly was living on Earth, what with all the portals opening between Heatherfield and Meridian."

"Mother said that was partially occurring because of her location and attachment to Earth." Nola added. "Even after she returned to her kingdom her thoughts of Earth kept penetrating the Veil and creating portals."

"'Portals'?" Dee asked. "'Veil'?"

"Old news," Ingrid said dismissively. "Nothing we have to worry about. Ask Aunt Will about it tomorrow, oh, ask Aunt Hay Hay instead, she's funnier when she's telling stories. Oh, for the love of... _throw the truck at him, Vance Michael, don't just let it be product placement_! Hmm... maybe I should to talk to Aunt Lily about making a Guardian movie since she's a writer. I could totally play a great Aunt Will! I did dye my hair red at one point..."

"How many aunts do you _have_?" Dee asked in amazement. "And what planet is Aunt Lily from?"

"Oh, Aunt Lily, she's... _throw the gol-dang truck, Vance_! Aunt Lily is my real aunt, my mom's little sister. She's away at college or you would've seen her at the dinner, but she should be arriving in a few days. She's great, her and mom fight like mad cats whenever they're around each other!" Dee was mystified when Ingrid giggled, like this was a good thing.

"And Lilian is the Heart of Earth as Mrs. Lin said earlier," Nola added, not wanting Ingrid to leave out that vital information. "Cornelia and Mother taught her to control her powers when she was younger. She is... ah, exuberant like Ingrid in many ways."

"'Exuberant' is a good word, right?" Ingrid asked, to which Nola nodded. "Oh, yeah, Hale women rock! Ha! _Rock_! As in Earth Guardians! Man, I am freaking hilari_Vance_ _threw the truck, yes_! Oh, and it missed. Tough luck, Vance. Oh, and the bad guy's hitting him in the face. Huh, he needs a Guardian _bad_. I'll save you, Vance!"

"Ah, but who will save him from _you_, Ingrid?" Jamila asked jokingly.

"No one, I hope. _Rawwwrrrr_!" The rest of movie passed fairly quickly until the credits were rolling and the latest pop single from VMJ playing over them; Ingrid stopped the movie by tapping the screen and turned the TV off. "Alright, time for T and D! I already know everything about Nola and Jamila, but I'm looking forward to learning Nestis' and Dee's dirty secrets!"

Nestis looked wide-eyed at the mere suggestion that she could have "dirty secrets" while Dee felt apprehension well inside her. The simple game of Truth and Dare was also something she had never done before in the orphanage and the foster homes as Dee had spent a good deal of her time avoiding people; the other orphans were directly competing with each other to be adopted and have some resemblance of a normal life and the foster homes... Dee shivered and tried to focus on what was left of her ice cream.

The five girls took up position around the rug until they were all facing each other. "Okay, in our version of T and D questions are for everyone while Dares can be for any number of us; makes things interesting! Since I'm so completely shameless, or at least that's what Nola says, I'll take the first question or dare. Who wants to grill me? C'mon, don't be shy..."

"I'll get us started," Jamila said. "Ingrid... who was your first kiss with?"

"Oh, that's classic!" Ingrid retorted. "Obviously it was Benjamin Dunningham... or was it Lee Josteen? Or maybe it was Curtis Langley...? No, it was definitely... or was it..."

"I think we can take that as an 'uncertain,'" Nola said. "Since we go counter-clockwise I believe it's your turn, Nestis." Nestis' eyes widened.

"Yeah!" Ingrid said excitedly. "Tell us, Nessie, who was the lucky first for you?" Nestis looked embarrassed and fidgeted. "Oh, if you haven't had yours yet that's nothing to..."

"No, no," Nestis said, her expression changing from embarrassment to annoyance. "It's just... you don't know him and it turned out bad. Really, I don't think those ever turn out well, right?" The other girls agreed with her, more out of surprise at the sudden shift in Nestis' features than the truth of the statement; the irritated look on her face was a strong shift from her usual soft features. Ingrid was briefly reminded of Nestis' overly harsh and over-protective mother who looked the same when angry. It was not a pretty sight even for attractive women like the Towadis. "Uhm... Jamila." Nestis stared at the Fire Guardian.

"Oh, it's my turn. Well, I haven't had mine yet, but I'm in no hurry..."

"Now Jami," Ingrid grinned. "You did kiss my dad on the lips that one time..."

"That was under a mistletoe!" Jamila said quickly. "And I was nine, that doesn't count!"

"Santa got her letter, alright!" Jamila buried her face in her hands in embarrassment at the other girls' giggles. "Nola, your turn."

"_Gulp_." Nola swallowed her latest spoonful of ice cream and shook her head. "I have not had one yet, I'm afraid. I am hardly concerned with it, for that matter. Dee, I believe it is your turn?"

"Uh... no, me neither. Sorry, that's not very juicy, is it?"

"That's okay," Ingrid assured her, though she sounded a little disappointed. "Not as scandalous as I hoped, but that just means I need to get on with the matchmaking for my girls!"

"Oh good lord," Nola said in tranquil horror. Ingrid's schemes never ended well. "My turn, I believe: what is a secret ambition you have? Dee?"

"Uhhhh... shoot, I don't _have_ any ambition," Dee admitted. "I guess... when I was on the road... I just wanted to be somewhere safe with good food where people liked me, _really _liked me." Dee flushed in embarrassment as she realized how much she had given away.

"Ah, babe," Ingrid said softly. "We all like you here and no, it's not just because we're Guardians." She shook her finger knowingly at Dee. "Yeah, I figured that crossed your mind at least once today, but that's not the case at all. Being Guardians doesn't make people friends, being friends makes people Guardians. Don't believe me, ask Aunt Will, she'll tell you. So it looks like your secret ambitions fulfilled, don't it?"

"Looks like," Dee said with a sheepish grin.

"Okay, now that Dee knows we love her to bits, it's my turn. My secret ambition... crap, I have so _many_ of them. The Guardian thing has come true, then there's becoming VMJ's personal masseuse... Nestis, what about you? Want to join me in rubbing up Vance?"

Nestis chuckled and shook her head. "No, thanks. I don't think my ambition is secret, really, I want to have a career that lets me stay in the wild as much as I can, like a park ranger or a naturalist. Most nights I sleep outside if I can, me and Fenrir. Jamila?"

"I am like Ingrid in that I have many ambitions," Jamila said. "I love science and dancing above all, I think I'd like to be like Miss Taranee and pursue them both. And I'd like to be a mother one day, I love children. But my _really_ secret ambition is..." the girls leaned in close to hear. "...is to figure out what makes Ingrid... _Ingrid_."

Everyone but Ingrid laughed. "Oh, ha ha," Ingrid said dryly. "What's there to get about me? I'm just perfect, my aunts told me so. Nola, time to reveal your plans for universal domination."

"I think you've confused me for my late uncle." Nola finished off the last of the ice cream and looked disappointed. "I have no intentions to conquer anything, barring another ice cream container."

"Of course you don't _mean _to," Ingrid said. "But you tend to take over any project you're a part of; we don't mind 'cause you're so darn _good _at being the boss. I bet when we meet the Oracle you're going to order him to get you a cup of coffee."

"Hardly, Ingrid, but the question is still unanswered. The fact is I don't have any unspoken ambitions, all I want is to be the best I can be in any capacity I serve. Guardian, daughter, princess, friend, I do not want to fail at any of these. And I do not plan to."

The other girls stared at Nola. "Wow, Nollie," Ingrid said. "That was both inspirational and a little scary. Glad you're on our side. Dee, it's all you. Go crazy!"

"Crazy, huh?" Dee thought for a second. "I don't really have a question in mind..."

"You could take a dare," Ingrid suggested. "That means you don't have to take another dare until after your next turn." Jamila, who was sitting where Ingrid couldn't see her, shook her head at Dee and waved her hands in a negative fashion.

"Uh, okay. Dare me."

Jamila shot her a resigned look. (_Your funeral_.)

Ingrid rubbed her heads together and grinned evilly. "Hee hee... well, since you're _so _fond of Aunt Irma, I think you should show your affection by... _ kissing her on the lips tomorrow_! In _public_! While saying, 'Irradicator Tubbs is the greatest!' That's her nickname from work." Dee's mouth hung open in shock. "Sorry, the scared rules of T and D state that all Dares must be obeyed upon pain of death! Well, not literally, but it has to be done."

Dee tried to think of a way to avoid it, but her knowledge of Truth and Dare loopholes was limited. "Uh, I... okay! I'll do it... god, I should have known better..."

"You should have, but that wouldn't be as much fun. Hey, at least Aunt Irma's cute. I could have made you kiss my Uncle Al and, hey, just think how _mad_ you're going to make her!" Dee smiled as she contemplated how irritated the "Irradicator" would be. "This is going to be fun! One thing you need to learn about the W.I.T.C.H. family is we love messing with each other, Mom and Aunt Irma have made a career out of it. My turn again: if you could sleep with one person..."

"Ingrid!" Nola protested. "Don't be crass."

"Okay, okay... if you could have someone's baby, in a legitimate marriage _Nollie_, who would it be? Nessie?"

"Oh, god, I... don't... someone nice?" Ingrid fixed her with a withering stare. "Oh, fine. That new computer teacher at Sheffield?"

Ingrid and Jamila shrieked in delight and nearly scared Dee half to death. Why did they insist on _screaming_ so much? "Good call, Ness! I'd "have his babies" in a heartbeat, wink wink!"

Nola laughed. "Ingrid, you are the only person I know who says 'wink wink' instead of making the expression."

"Jamila, you don't have to answer," Ingrid said to the Fire Guardian. "We already know your pick. Or is Zeke in the running now?"

"Zeke?" Dee asked. "That sounds like an old man's name."

"Zeke is a nice boy," Jamila said, glaring at Ingrid. "He's our age and it's short for Ezekiel. He's... nice. Stop grinning, Ingrid, I can see your dinner in your teeth. But yeah, I'd take your dad in a heartbeat."

"As my choice..." Nola said, "I must also choose Sir Caleb."

"What?" Ingrid said in shock. "But he's practically your uncle!"

"But he is not," Nola pointed out. "He is... quite hot, to tell the truth. Jamila, you may have first 'dibs', of course."

Jamila giggled. "Thank you, milady. Maybe we can share?" Nola thought about that for a few seconds, then nodded.

Ingrid looked at both of her oldest friends with wide eyes. "What is _wrong_ with you two?" Nola and Jamila laughed with delight at being able to shock Ingrid.

"I really don't have anyone like that," Dee said. "But I think I would like him to be a nice guy that wasn't a pushover."

"Hey, why not take my daddy, too? He fits the bill and you wouldn't be the first to lust after him." Ingrid glared at the Water and Fire Guardians.

"Okay, I'll take him. I saaw a picture of him at Will's and I could see the resemblance."

"Oh, that's right. I got a picture of Daddy on my board..." Ingrid inspected her wall of photos. "Huh... he's not on here. He has been on Meridian a while... oh, here's a picture of him when he was a teenager." Ingrid took the picture off the board and showed it to Dee. "That's him in the coat, trying to grope my mom. Maybe trying to grab Aunt Irma, too, they always liked jousting together _a little too much_..."

Dee took the photo and inspected Ingrid's parents at a younger age. "Yeah... he is cute."

"We're a cute bunch, my family. I bet my baby bros are going to be adorable to the max. For me it would have to be Mr. Vance Michael Justin, there's something about a man who can act and sing that makes me fangirl like mad, though Aunt Will always said musicians are a bad bet. Nestis is next."

"I am?" Nestis looked panicked. "I... I don't have a question, give me a minute..."

"You could always take a dare," Ingrid suggested slyly. This time Dee joined Jamila in trying to signal to Nestis that this would be a bad idea.

"Um... okay."

"Hee hee hee... as you know, Air Guardian have the ability to go invisible. No one can see them... or what they're wearing. Can you 'see' where I'm going with this?" Nestis looked worried by this point. "I dare you to run around the house while you're invisible... _and naked_." Nestis' face went as pale as her hair.

"Now, Ingrid, you can't ask her to do that!" Nola protested. "She hasn't even used her secondary powers."

"Hey, this'll be good practice!" Ingrid countered. "Oh, okay, I guess I think up something else... whoa, she's doing it!"

Nestis had disappeared from sight like Hay Lin had demonstrated earlier. "Huh...it's not as hard as I thought it would be... let me get started here..." Ruffling noises drifted through the room until Nestis' shirt appeared in mid-air. After it dropped to the floor more ruffling noises indicated Nestis was working on her pajama pants.

"You're uh, really getting into this," Ingrid noted.

"What? It's just us," Nestis stated, not noticing that Napoleon had buried his head in his cushions. The pajama pants appeared and joined the shirt on the floor. Seconds later, a pair of boxer shorts appeared and went flying into Ingrid's face. "Sorry!" None of the girls believed her for a second. "Okay... so I just run around the house, right?"

"Uh, yeah, down the stairs and once in each room then back up here. If you're having second thoughts we can think of another..." The sound of footeps moved from the rug to the door which opened and closed as Nestis began her dare. "Okay, I think the girl has a wild side we didn't know about. I may have unleashed a monster-a _streaking invisible_ monster-in my own home."

Several minutes later the door opened again and the footsteps returned to the rug. "I had a close one when your grandfather tried to go into the kitchen, I had to get creative with your food cabinet. Oh, you might not want to eat the apples, I'd just... throw them out." Nestis' shirt lifted off the floor and disappeared as she put it over her head; Dee held her boxers out for Nestis who thanked her as the underwear vanished.

"Nice job, Nessie. You are hardcore," Ingrid said with a grin. "Jamila, on to you."

"Okay, I want to do a _real _truth this turn: Nola, what scares you the most?"

"Oh..." Nola looked taken back. "I'm not sure... I'm not really afraid of anything I can think of. I... I have a dream where I arrive at the royal court and it's full of people, my mother, Sir Caleb and Ingrid and... and I am... _undressed_. It's my most disturbing dream, I wake up unnerved from it every time."

"For the non-royal people," Ingrid said. "'_Undressed_' means naked as a jaybird!" Nola flushed and tried to act unaffected by her revelation. "Dee? What strikes terror in you? Is it homework? I'm scared of homework."

Dee shook her head. "No, my big fear is something much worse, something in this room right this minute." The other girls leaned in to hear what the dreaded thing was. "My biggest fear is... _hair_." She grabbed her short and curly hair for emphasis.

The girls stared at her for several seconds, then burst out laughing. "Okay, okay, Dee gets a free pass for being funny, that was a good one," Ingrid said. Dee smiled widely even as her heart fluttered in her chest; her joke had been a deflection from the truth of what really scared her deeply. She hoped that would be far behind her now with no chance of reappearing. "Like I said, I fear schoolwork. Book reports, especially. I'm not a big reader in the first place and... I don't get it, you're supposed to write about something you read but isn't that redundant? Writing about writing? What's that prove? I..."

"Thank you, Ingrid," Nola said. "If you put as much effort into your schoolwork as you did complaining about it your scores would be as high as Jamila's."

"Yeah, but she'd still be smarter than me, what's your point?" Jamila tried to look modest and disbelieving about her own intellect and slightly succeeded. "Ness, it's you again. Remember, Guardians aren't afraid to be afraid."

Nestis briefly grinned at Ingrid's play on words before becoming anxious-looking. She stared at her hands which turned invisible. "I... there are a lot of things to be afraid of. I don't know..."

"Oh, c'mon!" Ingrid prodded. "What's the one thing that makes your skin crawl like mud slugs?"

"Ingrid..." Nola said in her warning tone of voice. Ingrid, though well-intentioned and friendly, often went too far in her dealings with people.

"No, I'm going to answer it," Nestis said suddenly, taking a breath before speaking again. "I guess... the one thing I can't stand is... really can't stand is storms. Thunder storms. With lots of wind that shake a house like it's... being torn down. I hate that." The Air Guardian lapsed into silence again and stared at her flickering hands as they winked out of sight in time with her fluttering emotions.

The other Guardians felt vaguely uncomfortable at the second of Nestis' reluctant confessions. Ingrid came to the rescue in the only way she could think of: smacking Nola in the face with a pillow. "Surprise Pillow Fight!" Jamila and Nola snatched up the pillows they were laying on and began to attack Ingrid. "Hey! No sides, no sides! You're double-teaming me!"

Nestis and Dee watched the other three girls battle without joining in. Nestis picked up a small pillow and threw it half-heartedly at Dee. "Ow," Dee said in a deadpan voice. "You'll pay for that." She picked it up and tossed it on Nestis' lap.

"You got me," Nestis commented with a grin. "I really don't see the appeal."

"It's probably getting to hit Ingrid," Dee suggested.

Eventually Jamila and Nola got tired of pummeling Ingrid and returned to their seats. Ingrid had to stop herself from giggling as she resumed her position in the circle. "Uh, I got my butt kicked. You guys better join in next time to help me. Jamila?"

"I fear nothing," Jamila said, tilting her chin up haughtily. "I am indestructible and unstoppable."

"Oh, well, that's not really an OHMYGODSPIDER!" Ingrid pointed at a spot near Jamila's bare foot.

Jamila shrieked and stumbled away from the alleged spider, her cry loud enough to cause the Hales to look questioningly at the ceiling. Ingrid fell over laughing when Jamila noticed that the "spider" was one of Ingrid's dirty socks. The Fire Guardian's eyes narrowed and burned with an unearthly light before she grabbed a pillow and flung it at Ingrid's head with enough force to knock her over. "I... I have a little problem with spiders," Jamila admitted with a blush.

"A _little_?" Ingrid said as she rubbed her head. "You better get over that before we meet up with the spider lady again. Or you could just roast her, that works. Anybody who hurts Aunt Will gets no mercy, right Dee?"

"Yeah," Dee agreed as sparks of Quintessence shot through her dark hair. "She'll get none from me, that's for sure."

Ingrid chuckled approvingly. "Okay, now I'm a little scared of our boss lady. Nola, got a question?"

"Hmm... to be honest, Nestis' display of her secondary powers has me wishing to try my own. I may regret this, but do you have a dare for my ability to alter pigmentation?" Ingrid stared at her with a blank expression. "Change colors?"

Ingrid scratched her head. "Hmmm... lessee. Water Guardians have a little bit of mind control-not that you have any problems ordering people around, Nolls-and changing colors, like when Aunt Irma changed all my dad's clothes pink. Hey, see if you can make my hair the color of Dee's socks! Take revenge for the Threbian beetles I ground into your locks! Hey, that rhymed!"

"Uhm, very well." Nola looked at Dee's socks, then closed her eyes to concentrate. A whoosh of air and sparkles of light tossed Ingrid's hair around as it changed to the many colors of the rainbow. "Well, that went well, thankfully."

Ingrid stood up and went to look at herself in her dresser's mirror. "Freakin' awesome, Nollie! I could never have done this on my own! I'm keeping this at least until we get back from the mall tomorrow. And don't worry, Nollie, it's not permanent; Aunt Irma left Dad's wardrobe pink for a a year until she changed it back. They must have been really fighting at the time."

"I guess it's my turn again," Dee said as she tried to think of a good question.

"Make it a good one!" Ingrid said as she brushed her new hairstyle. "Heavy stuff, life or death kind of thing."

_Death_... "Who would you kill?" Dee said without thinking.

"What?" All the girls were looking at Dee. "Where did that come from?" Ingrid asked.

"I..." Dee shook her head and shoulders as if shaking off some unseen pressure. "Just the first thing that popped in my head. Ingrid?"

Ingrid tapped her brush against her chin. "Who would I kill? If it was just one person?" Jamila and Nola looked at each other as if they already knew the answer. "It would have to be... SYNTHIA! The witch of Sheffield Institute! The scourge of Heatherfield! The meanest girl to ever sell her soul for designer wardrobe! I want her _dead_! DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD! _DEAD_!"

The rest of DJINN stared at Ingrid now. Jamila turned to Dee. "So there's this girl named Synthia that Ingrid doesn't like."

"I gathered. Is she that bad?"

Ingrid shook her head. "Oh, sweet naive little Dee. You have not seen evil until you've faced Synthia "Cutthroat" Cuthoros. She is selfish, nasty and plain vicious. She thinks she runs Sheffield like it's her own kingdom, she's the reincarnation of Prince Phobos and possibly the daughter of Satan, we haven't confirmed. She's got all the adults fooled, even Aunt Hay, and the only ones resisting her evil influence are the Sheffield Freedom Fighters, a brave group of smart, sexy girls with the willpower to match!"

"The who?"

"Me, Ingrid and Nestis," Jamila said. "Nola's a part-time member and, uh, I think you just got drafted. Mostly Ingrid fights with Synthia and we try to keep it from escalating into assault."

"Synthia is very nasty to everybody," Nestis said. "She made fun of my hair and skin until Ingrid, well, shoved her into a locker. And kicked it. Several times." Nestis smiled at the memory. "Ingrid said it was worth the detention, I knew she was my friend after that."

Jamila laughed. "Yes, Ingrid likes to rescue people. She says it runs in the family."

"It does!" Ingrid reached for the knife hanging from her dressor and pulled it out of the sheath. The girls leaned away from the serrated blade even as Ingrid pointed it at the ceiling. "As my father and mother fought against tyranny, so too does their only daughter! Synthia won't take over the school without a fight, not on my watch! Join us, Dee, in repelling this evil creature with our every breath!"

The girls looked at Dee with amused expressions. Dee shrugged and said, "Okay."

"YES! Now we're truly a team!" Ingrid looked at the knife in her hand. "Hey, where did this come from?" She put the knife back in its sheath. "Ness, who do you want to off? I've called Synthia already."

Nestis grinned and shook her head. "In that case I don't have an answer. I don't have anybody else I dislike that much. As my uncle always said, 'Respect your enemies or you can't respect anyone.'"

"That's a great saying," Ingrid said, "But it's impossible for me to respect Synthia. Oh, wait, I _do_ respect the fact that she's got the guts to stand up to me since she's so spoiled she couldn't win a fight against Tom-Tom. Does that count?" Nestis shrugged and nodded.

"That goes for me, too," Jamila said. "I mean, there are certain kinds of people I don't like: the ignorant, the judgmental, the mean-spirited. I like to think no one is perfect, but if we took out everybody I didn't like... we'd never have time for sleepovers." The girls laughed at Jamila's idea of a scheduling conflict.

"It isn't proper for royalty to contemplate assassination," Nola said as straightened her long hair. "Besides, WITCH already dealt with my dear uncle years ago."

"Nobody messes with Nola and Dee's mamas," Ingrid proclaimed with smirk. "That's a bad idea! Dee, I bet you have someone special in mind since it's your question."

Dee started to say something but stopped. When she did speak it was almost in monotone. "No, it just popped into my head. Is it your turn again, Ingrid?"

Ingrid found it strange that Dee wouldn't have an answer for her own question but didn't want to call her out for it. "Well, I think it's fair that I take a dare myself. Who wants to give me one?"

Nola raised her hand. "Please, let me have this one." The other girls nodded. "I dare you, Julianna Ingrid Nerissa Hale, to... say nothing, verbally or telepathically, for the rest of the night." Ingrid's eyes widened and she opened her mouth even as she silently accepted the dare. She glared at Nola's satisfied expression as she nodded and made a zipping motion across her lips. "At last, peace and quiet!" The others laughed at Ingrid's exasperated expression.

"My turn!" Nestis said. "I got a good one: if you could change one thing about the world, what would you do?"

Jamila thought about the Air Guardian's question for several seconds. "That is an interesting one, Ness. I suppose I would make sure that everyone received a good education, as nerdy as it sounds. I think ignorance is the leading cause of a lot of people's suffering." Nola applauded Jamila's suggestion while Ingrid looked like she wanted to say something, then retrieved a pen and notepad from her desk.

Ingrid wrote something on the pad and showed it to the other girls. _JAMILA SAHRZAD FOR PREZ, '25_. Jamila laughed the same enchanting way she had when Dee had first met her and Nola nodded her approval. "Were I a citizen I would vote for Jamila... and your pen-man ship is improving, Ingrid."

Ingrid sketched something on the pad; it was a smiley face with its tongue sticking out, presumably at Nola. "Oh, how clever. If I could change the world-this world, I should say-I would like to do something about the pollution that has resulted from Earth's industrialization." Ingrid altered her writing to read _SAHRZAD/BROWN '25 _which got a short laugh from the two "running mates."

"To change the world..." Dee repeated the question to herself. "I guess... I would make it so everyone in orphanages got adopted by good people. That's really corny, but..." She shrugged and stared into her empty ice cream bowl even as Ingrid knelt next to her and gave her a tight embrace.

"That is a commendable goal," Nola said. Nestis and Jamila nodded their agreement. "Ingrid?" Ingrid took several minutes to write something on her pad and handed it to Nola. "Hmmm... I do believe this is a drawing of Synthia being ran over by a large truck driven by Ingrid and... Vance Michael Justin?" Ingrid nodded furiously. "I see... I have no comment on this, it's beyond my reasoning."

Ingrid wrote something else on her pad. "Ah... Ingrid wishes to propose a "Dares Only" change to the game. I'm ambivalent myself, do we have a second?" Ingrid looked alarmed and scribbled a question for Nola. "No, Ingrid, ambivalence has nothing to do with my urinary system."

"I second," Jamila said. "And I'll take my dare now. Any suggestions, Nestis?"

Nestis scratched her chin. "Well... I'm not sure..."

"Make her use her powers for something!" Ingrid suggested.

"Oh..." Nestis' face turned mischievous. "Set your head on fire like you do with your fingers!"

Ingrid clapped her hands. "Good one, good one!"

Jamila's eyes widened, then she grinned and began to concentrate. After a few seconds the air around her head and neck began to shimmer with heat, then suddenly burst into flame. "It feels nice, actually," Jamila said from somewhere in the fireball. "It's driving me crazy on how the fires burning without fuel, but science can't explain everything. Maybe I'm creating a perpetual loop of thermodynamic energy..."

"Marshmallows!" Ingrid said as she smacked herself in the head, then wrote the word "_Sorry_." Nola sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as Ingrid and the lingering effects of the ice cream headache combined to create another migraine. Jamila willed the flames to dissipate until they were out. She started to speak before reaching behind her to pat down the still-burning nape of her neck. "The turning off is the hard part."

Ingrid scribbled furiously for a few moments on her notepad and handed it to Nola. "Ah, it appears Ingrid has a dare for Dee and I. Diana, do you wish to try this?"

"Sure, let's do it. As long as we don't have to kiss or anything. No offense, Nola."

"Oh... none taken. Let me recite Ingrid's challenge. '_When we go to the mall tomorrow you'll go into that fancy longeray place and pick out two G-strings and make a big deal about them. You don't have to wear them, just make sure everyone knows you're interested in them. Oh, and they have to match your Guardian colors and that means that Dee's getting a hot pink thong! Sound good?_' That's not how to spell 'lingerie', Ingrid, but I get your meaning."

Dee and Nola looked at each other with hesitation but also defiance at being Ingrid's playthings. "Sure, we'll do it," Dee said. "No problem. I was going to pick up one, anyway." The fact Dee had no money wasn't going to contradict her claim. Ingrid gave an eager thumbs up at her oldest and newest friends as she grinned widely, then yawned loudly. She then picked up her notepad and wrote, _Doesn't count_!

"It is getting rather late," Nola said. "I myself may turn in soon. Ingrid, you shouldn't stay up all night playing your video games." Ingrid pouted before yawning again and raising her notepad to indicate she hadn't broken her Truth and Dare vow; she reached under her bed and pulled out two sleeping bags and gestured to Nola and herself. "Of course. The floor is no worse than the ground of the wilds of Meridian. Jamila, Nestis, Diana, Ingrid wishes you to take her bed for the night."

"Thank you, Ingrid," Nestis said. Ingrid wrote out _Host with the most_! in reference to herself and earned the other girls' laughter. Nestis wearily climbed into Ingrid's extra large bed and was half asleep before Jamila placed a sheet over her and lay beside her .

Dee took off the Heart of Candracar and searched for a place to lay the talisman only to find Ingrid's shelves and furniture loaded with miscellaneous items. A tapping on her leg caused her to glance at Ingrid who already in her sleeping bag; the "Host with the most" pointed at several small hooks in the ceiling where even more of Ingrid's collectibles hung from. "Oh, thanks. I didn't want to put this on the floor." Dee hung the Heart on an empty hook and watched it slowly twirl and glimmer. "Huh. It looks like a really fancy... disco ball." Ingrid silently chuckled and shoved the notepad in Dee's face. _G'night, boss_.

Dee chuckled. "Good night, Ingrid." Ingrid clapped and the lights in the room went out. Dee yawned and closed her eyes, the last thing she saw was the Heart spinning on its string and shimmering in the darkened room. _Heh... disco ball. The disco ball that changed my life_. _Thanks… _"Good night, guys."

"Good night, Diana."

"G'Night, Dee."

A snore was Nestis' only response.

"Good night, ladies," said the gruff voice of an adult man.

Dee shot up in bed and turned every light in the room on with her powers. Jamila was also sitting up and looking around for the man who had gotten by the Guardians.

Ingrid was laughing as her vow of silence broke under her amusement. "It's alright," Nola reassured the two girls. "That was simply Napoleon."

"The... cat?" Dee asked.

The cat himself jumped onto the bed and grinned at her. "Nice to meet'cha, doll. Ain't this a kick to the ole noggin?" The two girls stared at the cat while Ingrid continued to chuckle insanely.

Nestis snorted contentedly in her sleep, dreaming of rainbow-colored cats and laughing disco balls hitting her in the head.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Let's have a big round of applause for the Truth and Dare contributors for this chapter! Go on, clap at your computer.

XV-Dragon

Dee - To kiss Irma on the lips

DayDreamer9

Nola - change the color of Ingrid's hair

Nestis - "invisible streaking monster"

Obiki Doragon

Dee and Nola - g-strings

(I have to write that... **good god**.)

Greki

The "Irradicator Tubbs" addition to XV's challenge.

Do you think Baskin Robbins would sign an endorsement deal with a fanfic writer?

**Nola:** Greetings, I am Princess Nola Escanor Brown of Meridian and whenever I am on Earth I always stop at the Heatherfield Baskin Robbin for a cone of vanilla ice cream. And a chocolate one. And a rocky road. And mint and... er... Baskin Robbins, Guardian approved, endorsed by royalty.

And we now return you to your regularly scheduled fanfiction.


	12. The Touch of Night

**Disclaimer:** W.I.T.C.H. is the property of Disney, just like Marvel. Marvel and Disney… W.I.T.C.H./Spiderman/The Avengers/X-Men/Howard The Duck! OMG! That could happen!

**Author's Note:**I'm proud to present the DJINN theme song, "_As It All Goes Dark_," co-written with the lovely and talented stray phoenix, who also wrote Vernacular's "mix" for the story proper. Cue the exciting open sequence!

**"To all an end, the only truth,**

**Of my devotion my only proof,**

**Til the end of time I hold you here,**

**For you I fight for the end of fear...**

**"Pain is given by life freely,**

**Thunder's roar drowns completely,**

**Every storm an end, each enemy a friend,**

**Life is a battle, but you I defend...**

**"Journeys present and past the same.**

**life forever to heroes in name,**

**But fate leaves me to fight alone,**

**Every way to your soul my home…**

**"Hold back the touch of final night,**

**Burn brightly, ****the dying light**** ignite,**

**Far from you I march , don't forget my heart**

**Let it warm you as it all goes dark..."**

"**DJINN!"**

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Touch of Night**

"_To all an end, the only real truth,_

_Of all my devotion this is my only proof,_

_Til the end of time I will hold you here,_

_For you I will fight for the end of fear..._

"_Pain is what life gives us freely,_

_The roar of thunder drowns completely,_

_To every storm an end, to each enemy a friend,_

_Life is a battle, but you I will defend..._

"_In wanderings ancient and ancient the same,_

_Immortality's granted to heroes, by name,_

_But fate though it leave me to fight on my own,_

_All paths lead me back to your soul and my home…_

"_Hold back the touch of the final night,_

_Burn brightly, my heart, ignite the dying light,_

_Far from you I march away, don't forget my heart_

_Let it warm you as it all goes dark..._"

Every ear and aural organ in Elyon's ball listened to Vernacula as she sang what was sure to be her newest hit. The song she composed especially for the occasion spoke of a soldier leaving for war and particularly touched those who had borne sword and shield or had waited for them to return. When Vernacula ended she was met with the familiar applause as she searched the crowd for the one she had been truly singing to and flushed a dark green when a smiling Caleb met her eyes.

From across the ballroom, Belantha noted Verna's devotion with wistful envy even as she tried to proposition another. "It'll be great, Ruby, really; if you want to be first, I'd have _nooooo_ problem with that..."

"For the last time, Belantha," Orube hissed not unlike a mad cat, "I do not engage in acts of intimacy with anyone but my husband!" She then sneezed and adjusted the small creature in her arms like a newborn child as it stirred in its sleep; the white-furred being looked like a stuffed animal with a striped pink and blue ball-shaped tail. Belantha, hardened assassin and killer without remorse, found WE to be adorable beyond words with his tiny limbs, bright red eyes and pink underbelly and had to keep herself from fingering his triangular blue ears.

When Orube sneezed again, Belantha asked, "Do you want me to hold WE? You've been allergic to him ever since you two met. I mean, if masochism was one of my things, you'd be even more attractive, 'Rube."

"I am fine." Orube rubbed the skin around her eyes which had darkened to the same flush that always appeared when WE was around. "But I must decline your offer, I would not be comfortable with the, uh, practice. As a diplomat to many... _achooughhh_!"

"_Gesundheit_!" Valin chirped. "That's what Earthies say to keep evil spirits from entering your nose. They don't have a word for passing wind, though, which is weird because that's where I'd think that evil spirits would be at. They just look embarrassed and try to pretend it didn't happen."

"Thank you," Orube said. "What I meant was that many worlds have such practices, so I do not condemn you, Belantha, but I must insist you stop asking... _sniff_."

"Okay, Ruby, I will." Belantha gave into her urges and rubbed WE's fuzzy ears. "I wouldn't want to cause trouble with your husband, you two have such a good marriage and a lovely daughter." Belantha held up her hands as Orube glared at her. "Not what I meant!"

"Like, what's up with your whole 'I want in' deal, Bela?" Valin asked as she downed another cocktail and tickled WE's foot; Drake had long ago lost count as his wife could drink like a fish. "I thought you were big on the sanctity of marriage and all that jazz?"

"I am!" Belantha defended. "I insist on _both_ spouses being involved." She winked at Orube, who rolled her eyes haughtily; Bel thought she looked cute with that exasperated look on her face. "Remember that if Drake asks."

"What is 'jazz', anyway?" Valin asked. "I never found that out... I'm worried I might have been saying a bad word all these years."

"It's a type of Earth music," Belantha said. "Fairly tame, though it always got me in the mood..."

"Oh, Bels!" Valin giggled. "You're _always_ in the mood!"

"Ya got me, Val. Dead on." Bel popped her neck. "How long is this thing going to go on, anyway? Braids wanted me to provide security for this party, but I think the most dangerous thing here is the seafood platter."

Valin picked up a small creature off her plate that might have been under-cooked as it was still squirming and trying to attack the person holding it. Valin inspected it for a moment, then dropped it into her mouth and began chewing loudly; Belantha swore she heard the creature's death cry before Valin swallowed it. "Tastes fine to me. Ow! Heh, fighter, got mah tong."

Belantha chuckled at the pained expression on Orube's face. "Well, I'm going to check up on our Queen. See if she needs any help taming that Arkhantan bull of hers."

"This is a serious state affair, Belantha," Orube reminded her. "Don't jeopardize it with your thoughtless flesh games."

"'Thoughtless'?" Bel said with a laugh; she put a lot of thought into her escapades, as a matter of fact. "Ruby, if I was playing sex games with off-world dignitaries, the League would have ten times as many members! Excuse me, ladies." Belantha chuckled again at the word "members" and heard Valin mutter, "She's got a point..." to Orube as she walked away.

Bel noted and enjoyed the various looks she got from the off-worlders in attendance; about the only being in the room that wasn't entranced by her confident swagger was a giant yellow worm with a tooth-filled maw at one end of its body. The blue centaur-like diplomat it was talking to swiveled its eye-stalks to stare at Bel when she winked at it; though certainly beautiful, Bel's most attractive qualities transcended species and gender. Anyone who walked through Queen Elyon's palace like she owned the place and managed to not appear conceited had undeniable charm; the late Phobos had never been able to pull it off and Bel smiled wider when she realized this.

It was not a pleasant smile.

Belantha was not all prettiness and sweet words like she tried to project for the ball; her dark side was pretty damn dark and most of it was hatred toward the long deposed and dead Phobos. It no longer ruled her life like it did when she was younger, no longer did it force her into copulation to make her forget her life was not her own and her choice of sexual partners was the only control she had; now she picked her experiences because she truly enjoyed trying new things-and people. Though technically Elyon could order her to do whatever she wanted (not entirely an unpleasant prospect) she had never exercised this power and Belantha knew she was her own person despite the ethereal bond she had with Elyon's bloodline.

It wasn't the only bond she had with the young queen, Bel knew. They had both suffered at the hands of her brother and lost their innocence as surely as if the bastard had raped them; Belantha saw her father killed and was violently condemned to a life filled with murder at Phobos' beck and call while Elyon was deceived and mystically ravaged by the only "family" she had left. Blood was good for dark magic and all, but it mystified Belantha how The Bastard and Elyon could share parentage. The Eartherns were obsessed with the idea of "gene-netics" and how it affected them, but as far as Belantha was concerned the soul was fully separate from the flesh.

Not that the flesh wasn't without benefits, of course...

Elyon's adoptive parents greeted Belantha warmly and she responded in kind before moving on; neither had originally been thrilled that Belantha was connected in any way to Elyon, but they had eventually accepted that Bel's only problem with the royal family was the man they also hated. Belantha liked them both and felt that they were the kind of parents she herself would have wanted as a girl.

Belantha didn't begrudge Elyon her real family being there for her while Bel had had only herself after her father's death; as capable of brutality as she was, Belantha felt the cruelest thing was to be left alone in the world-like she was for many years until her first real love had given her a reason to exist. Her son was the brightest star in her sky and the only thing she truly called her own; everything-_everyone_-else was expendable.

Still, Belantha was not without affection for others. She had many friends (most she hadn't even slept with) with a certain few that stood above the others, the main ones being her frequent partner (in many senses of the word) Vashleah and her sister-in-suffering Elyon. Even now Elyon was talking happily with several attractive women in elegant gowns that caused Bel a twinge of jealousy, surprising Bel with her own possessiveness; she was hardy a poster child for monogamy and almost certainly one for polyamory. Belantha felt a little better when she noticed the ladies' escorts, men almost as pretty as the women themselves. And once her perpetually gutter-ridden mind started working again, she felt _much _better.

"Oh, Belantha!" Elyon said as Bel approached the throne, waving as if the freelance spy had just arrived. "I want you to meet my friends from the dimension of Magix; they were my dorm mates when I attended Alfea's School for Fairies. This is Bloom, Tecna, Musa, Layla, Stella, and Flora." The girls greeted Belantha enthusiastically, clearly of the frame of mind that any friend of Elyon's was a friend of theirs. "Their husbands... aren't important. I'm kidding, guys! This is King Skye of Erakylon, Brandon, Timothy, Riven and Helia."

Belantha gave a respectful curtsy that even the harshest charm school mistress would have grudgingly admired. "My Lords and Ladies, welcome to Meridian. My skills are at your disposal this evening." Technically, Belantha meant her martial and surveillance skills, but she didn't mind if they thought otherwise.

"I love your outfit!" the tan blonde called Stella said. Of all the Magix representatives she seemed the most... happy, to put it politely. The excitable Valin was almost somber in comparison. "It's so dangerous-looking! That leather is to die for!"

Bel laughed to herself at how factual the statements were. "Thank you, milady. But this is merely my work clothing; I have nothing else as beautiful as your gown."

"Oh, this old thing?" Stella gestured to her sun-colored gown, which would have caused the denizens of some worlds to mistake her for a goddess. "It's just a dress. It's the person inside that makes it beautiful. And I don't mean looks; I've seen gorgeous dresses on attractive people who turn out to be totally ugly, y'know? And only Stella, please; it's a stretch calling me a lady." The other women, Elyon included, chuckled at that; Stella glared at them without menace.

"I understand you completely, mi-Stella," Bel said, finding that she liked the royal bombshell's attitude and not just her hourglass figure. "Though it seems you have some pretty ones with you this evening. Magix has always had a reputation for beautiful sights-I see that it is well-earned." That was as close as Bel was going to get to flirting with the Magix dignitaries, just to keep things civil. Some women (like Orube) did not appreciate Bel propositioning them and their men while Bel would have considered such attempts as a compliment. As the Eartherns said, go figure.

The men were flustered by Bel's compliment, not sure if responding would be the best thing to do in front of their wives. "T-thank you, Miss Belantha," Prince Skye finally responded when his red-haired wife jabbed him in the side with a finger. "I'm surprised you have no escort yourself this evening; I suppose your work keeps you fairly busy and away from your husband, perhaps...?"

"I am something of what the Eartherns call a 'workaholic'," Belantha confirmed, "But the only man that I truly love is my baby boy. Oh... if you'll excuse me, I should signal him before the ceremony." Bel pulled a small tube out of her cleavage-raising a few eyebrows in the process-and uncorked it. At the bottom of the tube lay a small slug that was eating a leaf; Belantha blew lightly on the slug which reacted by glowing green and squeaking contentedly.

"That's a signal slug from the swamp of Torus Glais," Elyon explained to the Magix delegates. "They send out a psychic signal to their nest mates when they find a heat source like Belantha's breath."

"It's so cute!" the woman introduced as Flora said, bending over to inspect the now docile slug. "Could I have a pair of them for my biology class at Alfea? I'd make sure they'd have all the leaves they could eat. From non-sapient plants, of course."

"Of course, my boy has a few we keep as back-ups," Belantha said. "Consider them a gift and I hope your students enjoy them." Elyon was constantly amazed at how easily Belantha slipped into any situation, be it diplomatic or hostile, and never seemed unprepared for either. Belantha had once explained to her that the dangerous individuals she dealt with demanded better etiquette than the highest court since they wouldn't bother with the formality of a mock-trial to execute someone.

While Belantha was conversing with Flora about signal slug eating habits Prince Skye discreetly asked Caleb, "So that's the one you talked about... is she really that dangerous?"

"Very much so," Caleb replied truthfully. "By the way, my daughter still wants to marry you." Skye looked around the ballroom fearfully which caused Caleb to chuckle. "Don't worry, she's not here."

"Thank goodness!" said the greatly relieved Prince as he ran his hands through his golden hair, a feature that was one of Ingrid's many obsessions about him. "She's very affectionate, your Ingrid. Uhm, I mean that in a good way. I'm sure she'll make some deserving young man very happy one day."

"As long as it's not too soon," Caleb groused. "Word of warning: once they get their womanhood it's like mud slugs after a wounded hoogong. The males start coming out of nowhere until you're fighting them off." That reminded Caleb to grab his bow and sword from his quarters before leaving Meridian, for some reason.

"Duly noted," Skye said with a laugh. His wife raised her eyebrows but didn't comment; Bloom often reminded Caleb of Will in that they were both effective leaders of their respective groups and Earthern natives with slightly messy red hair. He remembered how W.I.T.C.H. had often attended events like this in the old days and it struck him as odd how they now seemed totally absorbed in their Earthern lives.

That and their early retirement made him feel... well, he wasn't sure how he felt about it, to be honest. It was like they wanted to forget that there was a bigger world than the one they were born on; considering Caleb was part of that bigger world, it upset him that they were no longer the tight-knit group they had been back when they were technically kids. Many of the people Caleb had spoken to this evening had expressed regret that the Guardians had disbanded; even with the League's pact of mutual defense in place it was still comforting to know that Candracar's avenging angels stood ready to defend all that was good and decent.

Well, it was sure to be a pleasant surprise when Elyon finally announced that the Guardians were returning and that two of them were children of Meridian. Caleb felt both pride and fear now that his eldest child would be facing real danger without her father to save her as she rushed into battle; it was almost a certainty that it would be so, given Ingrid's spirit and innate sense of justice. At least she would have a close-knit group to watch out for her like her mother had and the added benefit of Caleb's training.

Elyon was now greeting a young woman with pointed ears, yet another princess. Caleb recognized the young man with her as being some sort of local hero who rarely spoke but was reportedly a skilled swordsman-a possible description of a younger Caleb except for the speaking part. His green jerkin and foppishly long hat seemed almost like something a child would wear, but the intense look in his eyes was anything but childish and looked like the eyes of a feral beast. The word was that this young man had single-handedly defeated a warlock that nearly-or had-conquered his land. Caleb would have liked to spar with the younger man to pass the time and see if he could still keep up with the kids, but he doubted Elyon would have liked that at her ball.

_When is this going to be over_? Caleb thought. _I want to see my girls. Or fight somebody. I'll even go a round with Belantha if this takes any longer, though I'll probably regret it. Naw, Skye would be easier, I'll pound on him. Of course, then I'd have to take Brandon, too, since he's Skye's bodyguard... still easier than Belantha..._

"Hey, Sir Caleb, why the long face? Missing those beauties of a wife and daughter you have?"

Caleb managed to keep from whirling and tackling whoever was behind him even as he registered the voice as belonging to Belantha's son. He turned his head downward and studied the teenager's face. "Hello, Imran. I see you've got your mother's knack for a silent entrance."

Imran gave a toothless grin at Caleb that was a mirror image of his mother's knowing smirk. The coloration of his skin and short hair was also identical to Belantha, though his eyes were a surprisingly dark blue that shone in contrast to the rest of him as they twinkled under his pronounced bangs. His delicate features brought to Caleb's mind images of the male models that were advertised on Earth and the black jumpsuit Imran wore did little to hide his physically fit form; to say that Belantha's sixteen-year-old son was a lady-killer wasn't doing the phrase justice.

In fact, "Bel Jr." shared in his mother's appreciation for both sexes, making him a man-eater-in-training to boot. None of Meridian's sons and daughters were safe from him and thus every father hated him to some extent-even Caleb. _Especially_ the insanely over-protective Caleb who was constantly told by Elyon and the other women in his life to relax before he gave himself a stroke.

"I hope I didn't startle you, Sir Caleb," Imran said, still grinning. It seemed like he was _always _grinning to Caleb. "The only person I can't sneak up on is Mother. Even Ingrid couldn't find me when we were playing tag in the gardens. By the way... how _is_ your lovely daughter?"

Caleb narrowed his eyes. "Off-limits, as always. _Forever_." At least until she was eighteen and Caleb was dead and buried.

Imran managed to look offended though Caleb doubted the sincerity of the expression. "Sir Caleb, I have the utmost respect for your family! I would never do anything dishonorable to Ingrid!"

Caleb grunted, recalling that her was only slightly older than Imran when he'd fathered Ingrid and neither he noir Cornelia thought his actions "dishonorable" in the slightest. "I'll be the judge of what's proper when it comes to my daughter; just keep that in mind, Imran."

"Of course!" Imran said agreeably and Caleb actually believed him, but hormones tended to win out over common sense and he was glad that Ingrid was a dimension away; Imran had always shown a preference for Caleb's daughter and that had never settled well with her father. Not because his mother was an assassin that had passed down her skills to her son, but mainly because Caleb was once a boy like Imran-with all the urges and lack of common sense that came with that status.

It did not help Caleb's state of mind that Imran also inherited his mother's knack for sneaking into places. Not at all. First thing on Caleb's To Do List when he got home was check the locks... maybe replace them altogether. And dig a moat, Cornelia's objections be damned. It was his house as well, he could have a moat if he damn well wanted to.

"Stop bothering the Captain and introduce yourself," Belantha said to her son with a grin aimed at Caleb, probably enjoying the fact that her child was messing with "Longsword." She likely coached him on how to do so, Caleb mused.

Imran dutifully obeyed and executed a perfect bow towards the assembled dignitaries. "Lords and Ladies, good evening. I am Imran, son of the lovely Belantha." Belantha rolled her eyes. "If there is anything I can do to make your stay in Meridian more..." He smiled lasciviously at Bloom. "_enjoyable... _please don't hesitate to ask." Belantha gave him a small pinch on the arm that said, _Knock it off, kid_.

Slightly mollified, Imran nodded at Elyon and gave a genuine smile. "Good evening, Aunt Elly. Didn't you promise me a dance with your daughter tonight?" Caleb was only slightly less irked because of Imran's interest in Nola than with Ingrid and bit down on the inside of his cheek.

Elyon looked embarrassed as she replied. "Oh, I'm sorry, Imran. Something's come up and... well, Nola can't be here tonight, I'll explain later. It's a shame because you look so handsome, I'm sure Nola would have loved to dance with you; would you terribly mind if I took her place instead?"

Imran laughed in amusement, a sweet sound that made many of the older ladies and a serving boy about Imran's age take notice. "I am very lucky if I have to settle for the Queen of Meridian!"

"I don't know where he gets these lines," Belantha said apologetically. Caleb choked on his ale and earned a reproachful look from Belantha that made him ease a few steps away from the most dangerous woman he'd ever met; Caleb was brave and heroic and all that, but he wasn't an idiot. "Did you secure the balcony?"

"Yes, Mother," Imran said in exasperation, like she'd asked him if he cleaned his room. "The doors are locked and I greased the railing for good measure. I told Tynar and he's got his men on the door. You taught me well, Mother."

"I know," Belantha said as she kissed his forehead; Imran was privately horrified that she had done such a thing in front of so many pretties, but he tolerated the action for her sake. For all her reputation of being free and easy, Imran knew his mother was incredibly over-protective of him. Nice and all, but it drove him mad sometimes. "You're just in time for Elyon's big speech. We can do a sweep of the hall while she's talking; left or right?"

"Left, I suppose. By your leave, everyone." With that, mother and son began to walk along the edges of the hall to scout for possible trouble, Imran pausing to take a goblet of fruit juice from a server; his winking at the flustered young woman caused her to drop her platter into the maw of the giant yellow worm. The worm ground the platter and goblets up with its jaws and belched contently, enjoying the "snack" while the blue centaur closed its main eyes in embarrassment.

"Watch that one," Elyon said to her friends about Imran. "He's going to be trouble later on."

"He's trouble _now_," Caleb said, glaring at the retreating teen's back. "I don't care if Belantha kills me, I'll beat him to death if he does anything to my baby girl. Or yours."

"Oh, don't worry about it, _Dad_!" Elyon was always amused at Caleb's Tough Daddy Act; she knew Nola and Ingrid in ways that no father could and even a smooth operator like Imran would have a hard time tricking the girls into loosing their morals. "If he breaks Ingrid's heart, she'll take him out herself. And Belantha will finish him off; you know she's harder on him than you are on your child." Elyon grinned as she told her friends, "Ingrid's got Caleb wrapped around her little finger. It's kind of sad to see a national hero whipped by his own daughter!" Caleb looked pained but made no attempt to deny the claim.

"Randor's just as bad when it comes to Adora," Marlena said. "Can't refuse her anything!" Randor opened his mouth to protest the claim, then shrugged as it was completely true.

"And our Chrysta can play Skye like an instrument," Bloom said. All the husbands shared similar looks to Caleb as the others laughed at their parental plight.

Elyon thought the joyful noise was a good a way to open her speech and rose from her throne. "Attention, everyone," she said, magically amplifying her voice until all those in the hall could hear her. Every head turned toward her, except for Belantha and Imran's as they continued to look for trouble amongst the crowd. "Thank you for coming this evening. Each world here shows the strength and commitment of the League to peace and equality throughout the dimensions.

"As many of you know, the groundwork of the League began when Meridian answered Candracar's call to aid Eternia with a greater threat than either world could handle on our own. It was then that King Randor proposed what would become the League of Worlds, just as the horror of the Horde War engulfed the Infinite Dimensions and we stood together against tyranny and darkness.

"We of Meridian are no stranger to cruelty and injustice. So great was the evil of my... brother that Candracar was forced to separate all worlds from each other to keep his influence from spreading. During those dark times it was the courage and conviction of a brave few that gave hope that peace and freedom would return to Meridian. And it did..."

"With Queen Elyon!" Aldarn shouted. Every Meridianite in the throne room cheered with the Royal Guardsman and many of the off-world dignitaries joined in with applause. WE awoke in Orube's arms and took in the cheering crowd as he hopped out of his mistress' arms, then grinned and waved his arms in the air as concluded the cheering was for him. Orube rolled her eyes... then sneezed again. Aldarn chivalrously offered the sleeve of his dress uniform to wipe her nose and received a warm smile from his wife.

Elyon was sure she looked as embarrassed as she felt as she raised her hands for silence.

"You honor me and I thank you, but the fact remains that without those we rightfully honor tonight... I would be dead." Elyon paused to let that sink in. "I would have been murdered by my _brother_ and you would curse my name for being the fool that gave Phobos the means to extend his terrible influence over your home worlds. But we all are fools at some point and it is then that those truly loyal show their devotion. My friends the Guardians, my loyal subjects and my _true_ family, all saved this world-and I-and in them were the beginnings of the League. Now we show our appreciation to those that fought for all our worlds and have continued to serve for many years, sacrificing even more for their children and ours. Please, come forward."

Caleb, Julian, Alborn, Miriadel, Vathek, Galgheita, Aldarn, Drake, Tynar, Valin, and several others came forward and faced the assembled crowd; all were leaders and key figures in the rebellion against Phobos and also worked with the League to fight in the Horde War. Caleb felt vaguely self-conscious as he stood in line with the others; when he was younger he had reveled in the accolades that had been sent his way, but now he was too old to be impressed by himself anymore. Caleb ruefully suspected he was ready to be put out to pasture and that was okay with him; he could use a little less excitement these days.

_Five teenage girls_, a part of his brain taunted him at his thoughts of peace and quiet. Caleb tried not to grimace as it looked like history was repeating itself with a vengeance.

Elyon could have magicked the medals onto the honorees easily, but she deliberately chose to place each personally as an attendant followed her with a case that held the awards. She told the crowd of each person's achievements and thanked them. Most of the honorees nodded and smiled sheepishly at their Queen, though an excited Valin gave Elyon a crushing hug that lifted the matriarch off the floor and caused many to chuckle at the look on Elyon's face. Caleb was just happy that Val didn't try to lick her nose.

"...and to Julian, a knight of Meridian who never forgot his vows," Elyon said as she placed the medal around his neck. "Your service to the League saved many worlds with your experience and leadership. _And_ you raised a fine son whom we also honor tonight." Julian nodded bashfully and looked proudly at Caleb.

"And to Alborn and Miriadel," Elyon said to her adoptive parents, her eyes filling up with tears as she stood in front of them. "For giving up everything to raise me in safety away from your home and standing by me all these years. Everything I am... came from you."

"We love you so much," Miriadel said as Elyon placed her medal around her neck. "We gave up nothing to be your parents; we gained a wonderful daughter." Alborn nodded as Elyon embraced them both, protocol be damned.

"...and Caleb," Elyon said when she composed herself and stood in front of the final honoree. "Our most famed hero. You have shown the Infinite Dimensions Meridian's greatness in your actions and made us all proud to be of this world. And," Elyon said in a quiet voice only the two of them could hear as she placed his medal, "you made my best friend happy." Elyon's voice returned to her mega-phone volume as she continued. "No one can question your devotion to Meridian and the ideals of the League; please accept our appreciation and hopes that you will never have to raise your sword in battle again."

Caleb was glad he wasn't required to speak; he would not have been able to find the words to express how he was feeling.

Elyon stood to Caleb's side and all the honorees turned and faced the crowd. "I present to you heroes of Meridian and the League of Worlds. Honor, Strength and Compassion; these are the virtues that hold worlds together and let none doubt those that stand before you have these in their hearts." The crowd cheered and applauded the honorees.

Elyon waited until they were done before continuing. "I also have an announcement to make; it is my privilege to inform all present that the new Guardians of Candracar have been chosen and have begun their training." A second round of applause matched the first in volume. "I am extremely proud to say that my daughter, Princess Nola Escanor, and Caleb's daughter Ingrid, the child of my dearest friend and a Guardian herself, are among those chosen." More applause broke over the throne room and many of the Meridianites cheered even louder for the two daughters of their home world. "I fully expect Ingrid to break many things in her pursuit of our enemies!" Everyone who knew Ingrid laughed loudly at this, even the guards standing at their stations and quite a few of the off-worlders.

"And before I end the ceremony," Elyon concluded, "I feel I should mention that the new Keeper of the Heart of Candracar is not only being trained by THE Will Vandom..." A stunned hush fell over the crowd at the mention of Will's name. "But Will has decided to adopt her as well!" This garnered a whole new round of applause along with numerous muttered claims of having served with, fought for or even just looked at THE Will Vandom.

Ever since the closing of the Horde Wars there wasn't a world in the known dimensions that didn't hear tales of the Keeper who saved the universe time and again, even eclipsing her team a little in her fame. "_What are we, back-up dancers_?" an irritated Irma had asked some years ago at a similar inter-dimensional meet-and-greet for the League as an embarrassed Will was fawned over by a crowd of sentients. Caleb suddenly realized that was why she had declined to attend any further events.

Elyon privately mused that Dee did not realize what she was getting into when she agreed to take Will's surname. She hoped that the kid wouldn't be overwhelmed by her adopted parent's reputation, but she also wanted to be in the room when Dee found out about her inherited legacy. That would be a _hoot_. "So please rest easy knowing that the universe is a little safer tonight and enjoy the rest of the evening." One final round of applause punctuated her speech and the party was back in full swing.

"Oh, congratulations, El!" Musa said as she took Elyon's hands in her own. "Your Nola... she grew up so fast! I need to write a song for the new girls as soon as we get back to Magix."

"I'm so happy for Will!" Bloom practically shrieked as she embraced her husband in her excitement. "She's so great with kids and she's always wanted one of her own, I could tell by how she looked at Chrysta. What's the new Keeper like?"

Elyon tried to find the words to describe Dee, then decided an example would work better. "Well, her first night at the _Dragon_ she got into a brawl with Irma until Mrs. Lin broke them up." Chuckles and raised eyebrows greeted this news. "But Diana's really sweet, she hit it off with the other girls so well. And she's, well, tough... god, she's tough. I almost wish Phobos was still around so she could take a crack at him!"

With the ceremony over Caleb was finally ready to make his exit. "By your leave, my Queen," he said to Elyon as a way to politely say _let me out of here_!

Elyon nodded and embraced him, spying Maqi over Caleb's shoulder as he was being accosted by several female dignitaries. Resolving to rescue the poor thing from himself, Elyon said to Caleb, "Tell Cornelia I'm going to try and make the shopping trip tomorrow."

"A shopping trip?" Caleb said with a groan, though Stella's eyes lit up at the mere mention of the word "shopping"; her husband Brandon looked a little worried himself. "Does that mean I'm going to be lugging bags for Cornelia and Ingrid?"

"And me," Elyon said with a evil smirk that would have done Phobos proud, if not scared the Ten Hells of Meridian out of him with its implications. "As your queen, I simply can't perform manual labor as long as I have a vassal around. But seriously, you'll have to leave the throne room to Fold; I have a field set up so that no one can enter that way. Now, get home to your wife, Sir Caleb, Meridian appreciates all your service, blah, blah, blah, blah..." Elyon's eyes were glued to Maqi as she spoke.

Caleb chuckled and was about to bid farewell to his father when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Turning slowly he found himself facing a man he had seen at the party numerous times that night but never interacted with. He was handsome in the same way that Belantha was beautiful, his strong features and light frame both aesthetic and clearly functional; his stance was that of Caleb's, loose yet steady, holding himself as one who had been expecting trouble every day of his life. Despite this he was smiling, not in the polite and slightly insincere way of the other dignitaries, but amiably and honestly at Caleb like he was genuinely pleased to see him, a mildly disturbing visage considering he was a complete stranger.

The stranger's long hair was golden, too golden to be on a basic human and his eight-inch slanted ears were a strong indication of at least mixed ancestry as were his burning amber eyes. Unlike the races of elves that Caleb had encountered on other worlds his face lacked any effeminate features and was characterized by a strong jaw that looked like it could take a punch and break fingers in one exchange.

When he spoke it was hard to describe his voice; it was both as solid as his features, yet possessed an underlying cadence that made it pleasant to the ears. The closest Caleb could compare it to was the voice of his wife, an unsettling similarity considering their shared golden hair, though Caleb had no doubt that his wife of over a decade would murder him in a heartbeat to have the strangers' shining locks as her own. "Greetings and good fortune, honored hosts. I bring tidings from the Order of Sahmison."

"And Meridian welcomes you, Ianus of Sturm," Elyon replied, trying to act diplomatic even though she was being blocked from Maqi; several of the farm boy prince's more aggressive admirers were stricken with a sudden urge to visit the castle's marvelous indoor toilets. Still trying to get a read on Ianus, Caleb took a second to wonder why Elyon was subtly smirking at their retreating forms.

"I am flattered you know my name," Ianus said, honest delight playing across his face. Caleb reckoned that this Ianus was either the best or worst liar he had ever seen.

"Good works such as yours cannot be ignored," Elyon said. "The Order of Sahmison is know throughout the League for their missions of mercy." Caleb quickly realized Elyon was saying that for the benefit of him and the others; as a military commander it wasn't in his job description to know about charities and religious orders unless they were connected with enemy nations or trying to summon a dark god or what not. He vaguely recollected hearing about Sahmison from somewhere, though the organization would naturally have to have some prominence to be invited to the evening's festivities.

"I thank you for your recognition, Your Highness. It means a great deal coming from someone with your generous heart..."

"Elyon's a real giver," Belantha said, appearing almost out of nowhere behind Ianus. "Sometimes she's even _too_ generous. That's why she has people to watch out for her, people less charitable to any who would do her harm." The implication that Belantha was one of those people was unsaid but also unmistakable; though she had left her weapons outside the throne room, Caleb noted that Bel was in the position to disable or kill Ianus using her bare hands with minimal effort.

Elyon looked mildly horrified at Belantha's interruption, though Ianus merely smiled wider as he turned to bow his head to the assassin. "And I am glad for that, since I do not wish any harm to befall Lady Elyon. The Light of Meridian is a beacon for many and it is the way of Sahmison to spread light wherever we can." With Ianus' coloring and stark white robes he stood as the complete contrast to the assassin that was subtly threatening him; Imran had returned as well and was looking everywhere except where Ianus was, though Caleb knew the young man was devoting his full attention to the strange man standing not two feet from his mother.

"'Sahmison?'" Stella asked, having been too distracted by thoughts of shopping to bother paying attention. "What's that, a watch brand?"

Her friends winced at the question while Elyon hid a chuckle before explaining. "Sahmison is an organization that does charity work in many dimensions. Ianus founded it after he helped end the wars on his home world; I don't believe they have a presence in Magix so it's not surprising you haven't heard of them, Stella."

"We are still growing, of course," Ianus said. "I confess, my presence this evening is two-fold: I came not only to pay my respects to the honored heroes, but to petition League members for permission to establish enclaves on their worlds."

"Would Meridian be one of those worlds?" Elyon asked with a smile and pleasantly neutral tone.

Ianus smiled back at her. "It is, actually, though I know that Meridian has little need of our services. I was instead hoping that a Meridian enclave would attract new members; Sahmison would benefit greatly from the character of your people-while also providing tribute and services to the kingdom in exchange, of course. Many worry that Sahmison steals away the youth of worlds without recompense, but I recall the same thing was said about the League early in its conception."

"Meridian is honored by your interest, Master Ianus," Elyon said. "But I must confer with the Ruling Council on such matters, you understand. That may take some time, though rest assured I will attend to it as soon as possible." _Hopefully before the shopping trip_, Elyon assured herself.

"Of course, milady," Ianus said as he bowed his head. "And please do so at your leisure; patience is one of the tenets of Sahmison, after all. The name itself means the 'The Infinite Wait' in an ancient tongue."

"That sounds so cool!" Stella said excitedly. "People doing nice things for each other... I'll talk to Daddy, maybe we could have you guys over on Helios!"

"That would please us greatly, Princess Stella," Ianus said. "If any of your worlds wish to have relations with Sahmison, you are welcome to send an emissary to our main enclave on Xanadu through the Folding Gates." Ianus' head tilted to an angle as if listening to something. "Excuse me, but I must leave the festivities to attend to a matter; I hope that you enjoy the rest of your evening. May Fate be kind to you." Ianus bowed deeply before turning to leave.

Belantha's eyes tracked Ianus as he disappeared into the crowd; when his light visage was gone from sight, she grunted. "That's a strange one."

"Really?" Caleb asked, completely agreeing with her. "Why do you say that?"

"I... I don't know," Belantha admitted with great difficulty. "I just... got a weird feeling off of him, that's all." Imran placed a comforting hand on his mother's shoulder and she smiled at her only child.

"It was probably just his magic," Elyon said. "After all, Ianus is the Heart of Sturm." The Queen's entourage looked surprised at this. "Oh, he doesn't advertise it; a Heart knows another as soon as she looks at him, I noticed that when I found out Lillian was Earth's Heart years ago. It's said that Ianus stopped all the wars on his planet when he dissolved all the weapons and clothes of the armies with a single spell." Elyon giggled. "I wish I had thought of that years ago; Phobos wouldn't have been able to conquer anything in his underwear!"

"It's never too late to start," Belantha said, secretly pointing at Caleb behind his back. Imran nodded in agreement and grinned hopefully at Elyon, having a bit of a crush on the father as well as the daughter. And Cornelia as well; Imran was a vocal fan of the entire Hale family, if his collection of Cornelia's figure skating and swimsuit calendars was any indication.

Elyon rolled her eyes-but not too much. "Not at an official function, but... I admit, Ianus comes off a bit unusual, but there's no reason to suspect him of any wrong-doing. Sahmison is very open about what they do and I really do need to clear it with the Council to allow off-worlders to build on Meridian soil. I would urge all of you to use your own judgment in dealing with Sahmison," she added to the rulers present.

"Eternia is always open to new ideas and ways," Randor said. "If Meridian finds it prudent to host Sahmison, I can't imagine our Council disputing it either." The other rulers voiced their agreement, no one but Caleb and Imran noticing Belantha's narrowed eyes.

"Does he disturb you that much, Mother?" Imran asked quietly.

Belantha made a negative noise. "I don't know, Angel... maybe I'm too close to my moon flow..." She grinned at the disgusted looks on the men's faces. "Oh, grow up, boys. Bah, those incredibly religious types always creep me out, anyway; maybe all the cults and extremists I've dealt with over the years have tainted my feelings."

Caleb thought about mentioning his own strange feelings about Ianus, but he realized that if he was going to get out of this pageantry without a fist-fight, well, now was the time. "Since you two are here to keep an eye on Elyon, I'll take my leave. The next time we meet I hope to introduce you to my sons."

"Earth technology is amazing," Belantha said. "I knew my baby was going to be a boy from when he was conceived, but I wish I would have gotten to see him on one of those ultra-sounders. Give the girls kisses for me?" Caleb promised he would.

"Please give my regards to your family, Sir Caleb," Imran said, very wisely not asking Caleb to relay any physical affection.

"I'll be sure to mention you," Caleb promised. With that, he quickly made his way to the throne room's exit.

Imran raised his eyebrows and asked his mother, "I wonder if his words will be favorable?"

Belantha laughed. "Probably not, angel. But you know... you and Ingrid would make a fair match..."

Imran scoffed. "Please, Mother. As fine a girl as Grid is, I simply can't see myself as a married man."

"Well, that is your choice, dear. But I expect grandchildren one way or another." Belantha poked her son in the chest for emphasis.

"Aye, aye, and the first girl will be named after you like I took father's name!" Belantha sighed at the mention of Imran's other parent. "I'm sorry, I..."

"No, no, it is alright to speak of him. I wish you could meet each other but..." Imran was not privy to the details of his father's life, only that he had his parent's name and eyes and the implication that "Imran" may have been an alias; there was lot about his mother's life she would never share with him and he accepted this, his need for knowledge of his father dwindled to a simple curiosity over the years. "He would be very proud of you, protecting Meridian like he did."

"I cannot help but think he was a fool for leaving you," Imran admitted.

Belantha smiled and patted his cheek. "Circumstances didn't permit us to be together, babe. But I am no worse for where I am now. Come on, dance with your old mom before the Queen gets a hold of you."

"Of course, 'old mom,' but I think that Aunt Elly already has her hooks in another younger man." Imran gestured towards Elyon and Maqi, who were now headed to the balcony where Bel and her son had entered the festivities. "I'm really glad that I didn't leave spikes and caltrops on the balcony's floor; would kill the mood, I imagine."

Belantha laughed in a way she hadn't known how to for the first half of her life. "Just like your sire, such a romantic!"

* * *

**/-\D/-\**

Caleb was making his way across the throne room with his best "I'm-on-official-business-get-out-of-way-now" expression and stance. It was working; the few dignitaries that looked his way only gave him polite nods as he made good time to the massive double doors. Even the giant yellow worm made haste on its many legs to make room for the determined father.

_Finally_, Caleb thought. _I'm nearly there. Nothing's going to stand between me and my girls-and my boys. There's not a force in the universe that can stop me-what is that noise and is it-it _is_ coming toward me. Sounds like wind... oh no, it's _him_... not _HIM...

"Caleb!" A man's voice cried out. Caleb turned and saw a bald monk in orange and yellow robes floating rapidly toward him on a ball of magically compressed air. Caleb instantly recognized the blue arrow tattoos on the monk's head and hands and briefly considered running from what was coming next. "It's you! It's me! Long time no see!" The monk launched himself from the ball of air and embraced Caleb around the shoulders; while his shaven head only came up to Caleb's nose, the monk had no trouble lifting Caleb several inches off the floor. 'How ya doing?"

"F-fine," Caleb gasped out. "Good to see you, Aang."

The monk set him down and grinned even wider. Though only a few years younger Avatar Aang still acted like the twelve-year-old Caleb had met years ago as a teen. "Congratulations on getting your medal! No one deserves it more than you, especially since you saved Appa all those years ago!"

"Thank you," Caleb said, hoping the monk wouldn't try to rope him into riding larveks or any such nonsense. "It's good to see you again, I was just..."

"Hey, guys!" Aang called out. "It really is Caleb! I didn't recognize him with the beard until Elyon said it was him!" A group of people moved toward them and a despairing Caleb realized they were good friends of his.

"Caleb," a tall man with a large burn scar around his left eye said as he nodded respectfully to Caleb. The thick red and black robe he wore was as much armor as cloth and its upturned shoulder spikes combined with his elaborate top knot made for an intimidating visage. The stylized gold flame design of his top knot holder signified the man as being of the Fire Nation from Aang's world; in a sense, the man _was _the Fire Nation as Fire Lord Zuko was the ruler of said nation and had no need to bow respectfully to a mere soldier like Caleb. The fact that Caleb had saved his life a few times was probably why he offered the courtesy. "It's been a long time. You're not dead yet. Not bad."

Coming from the more restrained Zuko, Caleb knew, that was a great compliment. "Thank you, Fire Lord." He paused. "Again, I'm sorry for what Ingrid did to your palace..."

Zuko's stern face vanished as he grinned widely. "Don't be. I should be the one apologizing; I was the one that let her drive the tank, remember? Honestly, I had more fun than _she_ did."

"He was laughing his head off," one of the women said. In stark contrast to Zuko the woman was dressed in blue robes with a white-furred collars and sleeves. Her long hair was arranged in a series of loops that started at the sides of her face and went around her head while the rest of her hair flowed down her back. Her skin was a soft brown and her eyes an arctic blue; Caleb swallowed as he realized how beautiful Katarra of the Southern Water Tribe had grown over the years. "Do you know how _weird_ it was seeing Zuko laugh his head off? I nearly went into labor from the shock. Speaking of, how is your family doing? I heard that Cornelia is close to childbirth, do you need any help? I've delivered more babies than I can count, human and seal."

"Oh... no, thank you, we have the best Earth doctors available," Caleb said, then quickly added, "Not that it wouldn't be great to have a Waterbending Master around, of course, but it would be too... well, obvious. Earth people are... easily startled by magic."

"I understand," Katarra said with a smile. "And I did teach Irma a few things when we were kids and Nola is such a natural at childbirth, it's hard to keep your cool when fluids are gushing out of-"

"Okay!" The other man beside Katarra interrupted quickly. He was dressed in similar dyed skins and ceremonial armor that bore a crescent moon and waves and held a stylized wolf's head-shaped helmet stuffed into the crook of his arm; the brown-toned face of Katarra's brother had paled slightly from the talk about birthing procedures. "Let's not talk about subjects I don't want us to be talking about, 'kay? Thanks."

"Sokka doesn't do well with births," Katarra said as she rolled her eyes. "He's fainted at every one he's attended, even his own according to Gran Gran."

"Well, excuse me!" Sokka said as he adjusted his top knot. "But I just find it disturbing when a human being comes out of another human being. It's... icky! Icky and wrong!" Caleb laughed at the disgusted look on Sokka's face while being fully aware that the quirky behavior hid a keen mind and skilled warrior that had recently been made Chief of the Southern Water Tribe on his world. Caleb had bonded quickly with the young warrior when they had first met (despite the latter's suspicions of rebel leaders with swords from some past incident) being that they were both relatively normal young men surrounded by magically-empowered allies, most of which were forceful women.

Caleb realized that Sokka was quite likely the largest obstacle Caleb faced in his escape; the eccentric chief could go on for hours about how his actions in the century long war that had ended the year he met Caleb. Not to mention his incredibly lame jokes. "Man, new Guardians, huh? And one of them's Ingrid, right? I remember the first time we met you guys and all the trouble we got into over your spring breaking or whatever you call it. You and Cornelia didn't seem like you'd ever make up let alone get married. I tried to help out with my experience with women, but I guess you two just needed time."

The other woman, clad in an expensive and intricate white gown similar to ones owned by Yan Lin, snorted and rolled her clouded eyes. "_'Experience with women_.' Whatever! All I remember is you freaking out over Will's hair like a little girl. '_It's the color of _blood!'"

"Hey, if you knew what color blood was you'd have freaked, too!" Sokka countered. "It looked like her head was exploding... but it kind of works for her, y'know? Or so Suki told me."

"And you practically fainted when Princess Pouty Pants appeared on the scene. Hey, Caleb, tell Cornstalk I'll help her get in shape after the birth with some Earthbending practices. Hah, Earth! Why does a place called Earth love machines so much? It doesn't make any damn sense! Why don't they just call the place, 'Television' or 'Electricity'? What's the big deal with TV, anyway? I never saw the point." A pause. "Get it?"

"We get it, Toph," Aang said. "I think we've played that for all it's worth at this point. Hey, Caleb, you want to go larvek riding before we leave? I've been practicing with sea cow slugs on my world and I think I know how to avoid the webs they shoot out of their stomachs..."

"I think that Caleb is in a hurry, dear," Katarra said as she picked up on Caleb's distress. "He needs to get home to his family, right Caleb?" Caleb nodded gratefully to the Avatar's wife. "We'd love to have you and your children at the Southern Air Temple some time, Caleb."

"I'd like that, too." Caleb said. "Once the twins are born we plan to have a traditional Meridian christening at the _Silver Dragon_ and we'll send out invitations through the League's couriers. Hay Lin wants to time it with the wedding so most of our friends will be there..."

"Hay Lin's getting hitched!" Toph said excitedly; Caleb bit back a groan when he realized the invitations hadn't been sent yet. "To who?"

"Um, Eric. Eric Linden. We were going to..." A loud crash sent dignitaries scrambling without much dignity from a strange procession of small creatures running through the throne room. Caleb immediately recognized the sight-and stench-of his long-time companion Blunk being pursued by WE and a small flying monkey he recognized as belonging to Aang. Caleb was just about to start yelling at Blunk for a causing a scene when a large animal burst through the crowd after Blunk's parade.

The beast was the size of a Earthern bear Caleb had once seen on a camping trip with the Hales. Its gray body was smooth and hairless with small ridges along the back that led to a stump of a tale. Its clawed feet scrabbled on the floor as it pursued its possible dinner but what really alarmed Caleb was the four-foot long snout filled with stubby yet sharp teeth. The beast's beady eyes peered over the top of its snout and looked almost merry as they tracked the trio with the precision of a natural predator.

Blunk and WE each grabbed one of Caleb's legs and cringed in fear at their pursuer while the flying monkey (Muu Muu? Caleb couldn't remember) attached itself to the front of Aang's face. Caleb was reaching for the sword that was in his chambers and not on his back when Ianus of Sturm appeared and placed a hand on the beast's head just as its snout stopped inches from Caleb's eyes.

"Booly Guu!" Ianus said with a laugh. "Stop playing so rough! You're scaring the poor things!" The beast turned its snout and bumped Ianus with it like a large, playful dog. "I apologize, Sir Caleb, Booly gets so excited at these functions. I promise to keep a better watch on him for the rest of the evening."

"Yes, please do so." Booly Guu eyes flickered to Caleb and its snout twisted up into a macabre grin; it took years of self-control Caleb had perfected as a waiter at the _Silver Dragon _to not react when Booly snapped its jaws a few inches from his face.

Ianus laughed. "He likes you, Sir Caleb! I am truly sorry for the disruption, but I never go anywhere without my faithful Reptilupine Booly Guu. I've had him since I was a boy."

"Caleb have Blunk since he was boy!" The Passling chirped in, his beady eyes focused on the Reptilupine. "Caleb be very upset if anything happen to Blunk!"

Caleb smirked at the Passling. "Well, Ingrid would miss you." WE sighted Orube nearby and made a run for his dubious owner while Booly Guu was preoccupied with Caleb, attaching to her face with such force the Basiliadean was guaranteed to be sneezing for hours. Aldarn made the critical mistake of chuckling at his wife's new facial ornamentation and guaranteed he would be spending the rest of the night in his home's hayloft with his very confused horse.

"Hello, Booly!" Aang greeted the Reptilupine. Booly turned his attention to the Avatar and knocked the century-old monk down with his snout. Aang laughed as Booly nuzzled him with its snout and his friends could only stare at him in amusement as Aang's monkey-bat-thing hissed at the large reptile. "Good boy, Booly!"

"Now he'll want one," Katarra said drearily. "Aang brings home more new pets than our children."

Year of strategic planning allowed Caleb to see a distraction when it dropped into his lap. "I must take my leave, everyone. Enjoy the party." His friends and Ianus bid him farewell-Toph adding a slap on his rump with her best wishes-as he power-walked toward the throne room's doors. Blunk was still attached to his leg but Caleb just kept going like the Passling was a rolled-up sock that hung over his uniform. He quickly saluted the guards who replied in kind as they elbowed the large doors open for him.

"Where Caleb go in big hurry?" Blunk asked from his bear hug on Caleb's leg. "Caleb left something burning in Earth kitchen?"

_Never did teach him to use pronouns properly_, Caleb thought. "No, I haven't been on Earth in months and my family has probably disowned me at this point. I'm getting some gear from my quarters and then I'm gone."

"Family not kick out Caleb," Blunk assured his oldest friend, which was doubly true because Caleb was the first real friend he'd ever had. Well, not counting his Mama. "Ingrid miss Daddy big time and Cornelia got babies in belly 'cuz of Caleb."

"Yeah, well, that particular reminder might not be in my favor." Caleb looped his sword's strap over his head and picked up his quiver and bow. "That's not my concern right now. I'm going home to my wife and children and a lot less adventure. Let Drake know if you find anything out."

"Blunk, P.I. is on the case." Blunk snapped a pretty decent salute at Caleb. "Nothing get away from this dick!"

"Except soap." Caleb made one sweep of the room to make sure he didn't leave anything behind. "That's everything. Try not to make a mess out of my room before Drake moves…" Caleb stopped as he remembered Drake and Aldarn's prank in the hallway. "Actually… have a party if you want. Let the cleaning staff earn their gold." He waved his hand with the snake's head ring and opened a Fold to the kitchen in his and Cornelia's home. "See you around, Blunk."

Blunk was already digging through the files and scrolls Caleb had left for Drake. "Later, Caleb! Give kisses to Cornelia for Blunk!"

"Sure," Caleb said with a grin. He stepped through the Fold and into his home. The blue light of the dimensional gate way blinded him for a moment and obscured the unfamiliar girl who was standing in front of him and holding a glass of fizzing water. When the Fold disappeared he could see her surprised face and the Heart of Candracar hanging around her neck… and Ingrid's cow-themed pajamas on her. The girl was staring at him with a shocked expression, her glass inches away from her open mouth.

Caleb blinked the lights out of his eyes and smiled at the girl. "Can't sleep, Dee?"

That must have been the wrong thing to say as the girl screamed, dropped her glass and began throwing lightning at him.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Had to put the Winx Club in there after reading several of Darev's excellent stories about them; hats off to him for writing fanfiction that is actually better than the show itself. The worm and blue centaur were also a shout-out to one of our shared interests in the Animorphs books, specifically the Taxxon and Andalite alien species. Don't feed the Taxxons!

The Avatar characters know Caleb from an Never Too Young story I'm working on called The World's Fury. No real reason for them to be there other than I want them to be. Now that Season Three is long over I feel safe about putting spoilers in, so yeah, Kataang forever.


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